


Lost in the Memory

by earper_kru



Series: Wayhaught, Amirite? [1]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Inspired by Taylor Swift
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:53:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27144110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earper_kru/pseuds/earper_kru
Summary: If you had asked her a few years ago if she thought she’d be standing across from her childhood best friend about to be married, Nicole Haught would have thought you were crazy. Sure, Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught have been close best friends since they were young, but Nicole never thought she'd marry her. She honestly didn’t think they’d last as friends.Their story began in the 2nd grade and boy was it a whirlwind from the very beginning. A story full of trials and tribulations, heartbreak and anguish, it is far from a fairytale but it does have a hauntingly beautiful air about it. They’ll never understand why some things happened the way they happened but it all added up to where they were now. Nicole’s honestly so in love with Waverly Earp and she knew Waverly felt the same exact way. They may have had their struggles but ultimately, their story has a happy ending. Or should they say beginning, as weddings are just another chapter in the book of life. Let’s take it back to the year 2000, Ms. Lawson’s 2nd grade class, where their story begins…
Relationships: Jeremy Chetri/Robin Jett, Waverly Earp/Champ Hardy, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp/Doc Holliday, Xavier Dolls/Wynonna Earp
Series: Wayhaught, Amirite? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981358
Comments: 8
Kudos: 167





	1. seven

_ “Sweet tea in the summer _

_ Cross your heart, won't tell no other _

_ And though I can't recall your face _

_ I still got love for you _

_ Your braids like a pattern _

_ Love you to the moon and to Saturn _

_ Passed down like folk songs _

_ The love lasts so long _

_ And I've been meaning to tell you _

_ I think your house is haunted _

_ Your dad is always mad and that must be why _

_ And I think you should come live with _

_ Me and we can be pirates _

_ Then you won't have to cry _

_ Or hide in the closet _

_ And just like a folk song _

_ Our love will be passed on” _

_ ~Taylor Swift~ _

“Alright class, we have a new student joining us this year. Her name is Nickel Haught. Can we all say hello to Nickel.” Ms. Lawson said, resting her hand on Nicole’s shoulder. 

She sighed. “It’s Nicole. Nicole Haught.” she said in mild frustration. 

“Oh excuse me, say hello to Nicole” Ms. Lawson corrected. 

The class said hello to Nicole as she took her seat. Nicole could barely pay attention. She was so worried about what people were saying about her. After all, she was the new kid.

She looked around the classroom and was met with many stares and whispers. She sighed and turned away quickly. She looked up again and was met with the warmest smile and friendliest wave from a small brunette across the room.

Nicole smiled back and gave her a small wave. Ms. Lawson cleared her throat.

“Miss Haught, what was I just saying?” Ms. Lawson asked, smirking.

“You were showing us how to add double digit addition problems, the answer is 32.” Nicole said, smirking back. 

Ms. Lawson was taken aback, she was sure Nicole wasn’t paying attention. Ms. Lawson continued her lesson and Nicole smiled at the brunette who giggled silently at the interaction.

Ms. Lawson dismissed the class for lunch and they headed out to the playground. Nicole didn’t know anyone well enough to sit with them so she picked a nice patch of grass and took out her lunch. 

Nicole looked around the playground at all the groups of kids.  _ I wonder where the brunette girl eats her lunch,  _ Nicole thought.

Just as Nicole finished her thought, she saw the girl sitting alone at a picnic table. Nicole smiled and gathered her stuff. She took a deep breath and walked over to the picnic table. 

“Hey, is anyone sitting here?” Nicole asked, grinning. 

“Oh, no! You can sit if you’d like. My name’s Waverly. Waverly Earp!” the girl said, putting her bookmark in her book and returning the smile. Nicole sat down and took out her sandwich.

“What are you reading?” Nicole asked, taking a bite out of her sandwich. 

“It’s Harry Potter! Hermione is my favorite character! Have you read it at all?” Waverly asked, enthusiastically. Nicole chuckled.

“I don’t really read much honestly. I like comic books though!” Nicole said, with a dimpled grin. 

“Oooh cool. Comic’s are totes amazeballs!” Waverly said, eating her baby carrots.

Suddenly, an apple flies through the air and hits Waverly in the back of the head. 

“Hey Nerdly, why don’t you read your books somewhere else!” a rather tall and lanky boy in a plaid shirt yelled from another picnic table. Waverly rolled her eyes and ignored him, rubbing the back of her head.

“Who’s that boy?” Nicole asked, angrily. 

“Oh him? That’s Champ Hardy. He’s just this guy who likes to pick on me. Just ignore him, he stops eventually.” Waverly said, wiping away a few tears. 

Even though Nicole just met Waverly, she hated seeing her cry. Nicole stood up and smirked.

“Oy, Champ! It’s not nice to throw apples at people! Why don’t you open a book for once, it might make you smarter!” Nicole yelled, picking up the apple and throwing it at his head. “Although, I don’t know if that’s possible for you.”

“Whatever you say, Red. Let’s go boys.” Champ huffed and he and his posse ran off.

Waverly looked at Nicole awestruck. No one had ever defended her before. Ever.

“N-Nicole, that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” Waverly said, hugging Nicole tight. 

“I couldn’t let him get away with being a buttface, now could I? Do you want half of my chocolate chip cookie?” Nicole said, hugging her back.

“I’d love that.” Waverly said, grinning again.

The girls spent the rest of the lunch period getting to know each other better. After lunch, Ms. Lawson put their desks into tables. Waverly and Nicole just so happened to be put at the same one. 

Over the next few months, Waverly and Nicole became closer and closer. They even began hanging out on the weekends at the Haught residence. It was easy because Nicole’s parents were hardly around and didn’t really care what she did.

Nicole never went to Waverly’s but she never knew why until one rainy Saturday in May. Nicole had the house to herself and was making a PBandJ when a knock on the door startled her.

She opened the door to see a soaking wet Waverly, sobbing on her front step.

“Oh my god, Waves! Hurry in!” Nicole said, pulling Waverly inside and running to her bathroom to grab a towel.

Nicole wrapped Waverly in the towel and sat down on the couch, hugging her close. Eventually, Waverly’s sobs turned to sniffles and she looked up at Nicole.

“I-I’m sorry, I-I didn’t know where else to g-go.” Waverly stammered.

“No worries, I was just making a PBandJ. What happened? Are you okay?” Nicole asked, wiping a few tears from Waverly’s cheeks.

“M-My daddy got a-angry at Wynonna and I for b-breaking a vase while playing tag. He t-tried to h-hit me but Wynonna took the hit for me. Wynonna told me to run, so I did. Now I’m here.” Waverly explained.

“Holy cow, that’s really messed up, Waves. I’m glad you’re okay. You can stay here as long as you need to.” Nicole said, hugging Waverly a little tighter. “I should tell my parents, this is bad Waverly.”

“No, no, no. It’s okay, don’t tell anyone please. He’ll hurt us. It’ll be fine, he just needs time to cool down.” Waverly said, shaking her head.

“Okay okay okay. But if he ever tries to hurt you again, promise me you’ll come here straight away. I’ll protect you.” Nicole said with a small smile. 

“I promise. Can we watch a movie or something? I don’t wanna think for a while.” Waverly said, grabbing the throw blanket and wrapping herself in it.

“Of course.” Nicole said, putting on  _ Finding Nemo _ .

Waverly kept her promise to Nicole and showed up at her house every time her father had one of his rage fits. One of those days, she walked to the house and saw a very large SOLD sign on the lawn. 

Waverly watched from afar as movers packed all of the Haught’s things into the big moving truck. She searched desperately for any sign of Nicole but noticed the family’s car long gone.

Absolutely devastated and afraid, Waverly sobbed the entire walk back to her house. Ward, still on his rampage, barely noticed Waverly sneak past him and run up the stairs to her bedroom. She hid under her bed and sobbed. Where was Nicole? What was she going to do without her?

Waverly didn’t have much time to think about Nicole after that night. A few days after losing Nicole, a group of what Waverly thought to be drunk gang members broke into the Homestead. 

In an act of revenge, they took Willa and Ward out the front door.

Waverly screamed from where she was hiding but nothing came of it. In an attempt to rescue them, Wynonna shakingly grabbed her father’s gun. 

The shot rang out and Ward fell to the ground. 

The next thing Waverly knew she was sitting in the back of an ambulance being hugged by her Aunt Gus. 

“C’mon hun, let’s get you home.” Gus said, giving Waverly a little squeeze. 

__________________________________

Nicole wiped her tears silently as her parents drove her away from everything she knew and loved without a proper goodbye.

“Don’t worry honey, you’ll absolutely love hanging out with your Aunt and Uncle. They’ll take you on some groovy adventures!”

Nicole nodded, barely paying attention. Her parents were moving for their jobs, and Nicole was stuck with them. 

Nicole thought about Waverly everyday. There was no way she could ever forget her. One weekend, her parents sent her to a music festival in the woods with her Aunt and Uncle. She had much rather be with Waverly. Little did she know, she was in fact in Purgatory, just miles away from her best friend.

She sat down in a canoe and doodled in her notebook. A scream startled her from her day dream. Frightened, she hid herself in the canoe. She listened as the screams became more intense. Sobbing, she slumped deeper into the canoe. 

Time crept by and Nicole didn’t move. It wasn’t until a friendly voice spoke to her that she even opened her eyes.

“Hey there, it’s okay. My name’s Sheriff Nedley. Can you stand up for me? It’s okay, you’re safe now.” The man said, sticking his hand out for her to grab.

Nicole nodded and grabbed his hand, shakily. He helped her out and wrapped her in a blanket. 

“Let’s get you warmed up.” Nedley said with a smile, gently placing a Purgatory sheriffs hat onto her head.

__________________________________

The crazy thing about trauma is how it affects a person's memory. Neither Waverly or Nicole remembered much of what happened after being separated from each other or the events that happened shortly after. 

Years would go by before the pair saw each other again. In those years, a lot had changed. Would they remember who they were all those years ago? Or would they have to start over? 


	2. cardigan

“But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss

I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs

The smell of smoke would hang around this long

'Cause I knew everything when I was young

I knew I'd curse you for the longest time

Chasing shadows in the grocery line

I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired

And you'd be standin' in my front porch light

And I knew you'd come back to me

You'd come back to me

And you'd come back to me

And you'd come back

And when I felt like I was an old cardigan

Under someone's bed

You put me on and said I was your favorite”

~Taylor Swift~

It had been 11 years since Waverly lost her dad and sister and 3 months since Wynonna had gone to juvie...again. Gus worked tirelessly to ensure Waverly had the best possible life she could, given the circumstances. Now a senior in highschool, Waverly seemed to have the perfect life.

She was captain of the cheerleading team, head of 3 different academic clubs, dating the schools hockey captain Champ Hardy. Yes, that Champ Hardy. 

The boy who tortured her in elementary school. Waverly had it all. But she still felt like something was missing. She just couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Nicole on the other hand, was in a completely different place. She had dropped out of high school and decided she wanted to go to the police academy. 

Her parents did not support her in the slightest, being the hippies that they were. The academy wouldn’t accept her due to her age and lack of high school diploma, but Sheriff Nedley caught wind of her ambition and was adamant about recruiting her as long as she finished her senior year in Purgatory. So off to Purgatory she went, leaving behind her parents and everything she knew.

The morning of homecoming was stressful for Waverly. She woke up late and had to skip out on breakfast which made her the tiniest bit grumpy. She texted her carpool squad that she was running late but would be there in a jiffy and threw on her cheer uniform.

She stopped to pick up her friends, Jeremy, Robin, and Chrissy, apologizing profusely for running late.

“Oh my god, you guys, I’m so sorry! I guess I stayed up too late reading my newest book on Ancient Runes and overslept.” Waverly said, pulling out of Jeremy’s driveway.

“No worries, we’ll still be on time. We just won’t get to sit on the bleachers first.” Jeremy said with a shrug.

“And you’ll have to wait until lunch to hear about my riveting fling with Perry Crofte!” Chrissy said, giddily. Robin rolled his eyes.

“Oh I can’t wait!” Robin said, sarcastically.

“You’re just jealous! What were there no taker’s at your Band Camp?” Chrissy teased. “You know what they say, this one time at…”

“Shut up, Chrissy. I get it you’re excited. I am happy for you, really.” Robin interrupted, laughing.

“I missed you guys, seriously. Summer and the past few weeks were so boring working for Shorty.” Waverly said grinning, as she pulled into her designated parking spot. 

“Here we go, homecoming kickoff!” Jeremy said, hopping out of Waverly’s jeep.

The group of friends split up and went to their homerooms. Homecoming was all anybody was talking about. With the game later that night, and the dance the next day, the teachers knew barely anything would get done.

During lunch Waverly was busy setting up the final decorations in the gym for the dance. She had just finished putting the final touches and was admiring her work, when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.

“How’s my best girl doing, huh?” Champ said, planting a wet kiss on her cheek.

“Hi, Champ. How do you like the decorations?” Waverly asked, slyly wiping the excess spit from her cheek.

“It looks great baby! But are we still on for tonight after the game.” Champ asked, winking.

“Yeah sure, as long as I’m not too tired. Now go away, I need to finish cleaning up these decorations.” Waverly said, pushing him away. Truthfully, she wanted nothing to do with Champ at the moment.

“Fine!” Champ huffed and walked out of the gym. 

“So melodramatic…” Waverly sighed as she began cleaning up.

“Excuse me? Do you know where room 307 is? I’m new here and I keep getting lost and walking in circles.” Nicole asked, walking up to Waverly. “My name is Nicole. Nicole Haught.”

Waverly stopped in her tracks. That name. It all came back to her suddenly. She looked up from what she was doing and met those beautiful brown eyes.

“Nicole!” Waverly gasped, dropping everything she was holding in shock.

Their eyes met and everything came back to Nicole as well. Nicole threw her backpack down and hugged Waverly tight.

“Waves!” Nicole said, lifting Waverly off her feet and spinning her around.

“Oh my god it’s really you! After all this time?! What the hell happened?!” Waverly, choked out through a sob.

“My parents moved us away for work without saying goodbye. Waverly, I'm so sorry. I never meant to leave you.” Nicole said, wiping away Waverly’s tears.

“I’m so glad you’re back, there’s so much to catch up on! What are you doing after school?” Waverly asked, finally catching her breath.

“I’m supposed to go help Nedley organize paperwork at the sheriff’s station. I’m sure he won’t mind if you come along so we can catch up.” Nicole said, grinning.

“Alright, let me pencil you in.” Waverly said, pulling out her planner and writing it in. “I’ll bring dinner and then you can come with me to the homecoming game. I have to cheer but I’m sure Jeremy and Robin could use the company sitting in the stands.” 

“That sounds perfect. Care to show me where room 402 is?” Nicole asked, grabbing her backpack.

“I’d love to.” Waverly said, putting her planner away and grabbing her bag. 

The pair walked to room 402 and Nicole waved goodbye. 

“Seeya after school!” Waverly said, smiling and skipping down the hallway.

Nicole grinned as she watched Waverly skip away. She had completely forgotten how beautiful Waverly was. Her heart fluttered and she bit her lip. She snapped out of her day dream and walked into class. 

Nicole sped out of her last class and ran to her car. She was excited to see what Nedley had for her to do, but she was even more excited to finally catch up with Waverly. 10 years was a long time and many things happened in those years away.

She waved to Lonnie and walked over to Nedley’s office. She knocked on the door and walked in.

“Afternoon, Sheriff! Is it this the stack of papers for tonight?” Nicole questioned, looking at the looming pile of papers strewn across the desk. 

“Yes it is. Now Lonnie and I have to go to Purg High to patrol the homecoming game. Don’t stay too late now. But finish what you can. Oh and Nicole? Your damn cat nearly killed me this morning when I went to fix your sink. Tell her to watch it!” Nedley said, leaving his office. 

Nicole chuckled. She was thankful Nedley was letting her stay in the apartment above his garage and giving her the opportunity of a lifetime. 

She made a mental note to do something to thank him before grabbing the pile of papers and heading to her desk. She hummed quietly as she waited for Waverly to pop in. an hour went by before Waverly showed up.

“Hey busy bee? Up for a break?” Waverly said, cheerfully holding up two sandwich containers. 

“Oh am I ever. This paperwork is boring as hell. Come sit!” Nicole said, grinning and patting the empty chair beside her desk.

“I brought you chicken salad with pickles. You like pickles?” Waverly said, sitting down and handing her the box.

“I-I love them. Thanks for dinner, I’m starving.” Nicole said, grabbing the box and slyly pulling off the pickles before digging in.

“I’m still in shock I think. I couldn’t get my mind off of you all day. What happened after you left? You cut your hair! I like it short.” Waverly said, digging into her salad.

“Alot” Nicole chuckled. “Some pretty fucked up stuff actually. What about you? Is your dad still a fuckwad. How’s Wynonna? Willa?” Nicole asked, grabbing her iced tea and taking a sip. Waverly shifted uncomfortably. 

“My dad and Willa are uh, dead. And Wynonna’s in juvie....again.” Waverly shrugged. “I live with my Aunt and Uncle now. She’s amazing. You’d love her.” Waverly replied.

Nicole nearly choked on her sandwich.

“Oh my god Waverly, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it up.” Nicole said, grabbing her hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

“Nicole, it’s fine really. It was 11 years ago. And besides, how could you know that my sister shot my dad and abandoned me, it’s not like we stayed in touch or anything!” Waverly pulled her hand away, attempting to keep herself from crying and failing miserably.

“Waves...I’m sorry. I-” Nicole started before Waverly interrupted her.

“No don’t, that was out of line. I’m sorry, I just haven't thought about this in a really long time and I shouldn’t have snapped at you, it wasn’t your fault for leaving. Where did you go?” Waverly, asked sniffling.

“My parents moved us because their job required it. They’re not really the most attentive parents in the world. Honestly they're kind of selfish. I went to a new school.” Nicole said, shrugging.

“That sounds awful.” Waverly said, eating her salad.

“My parents made me go to a weird forest music festival where everyone ended up dying in a forest fire and I somehow survived. I was pretty fucked up after that. Stopped really caring about school.” Nicole said, nonchalantly.

“Holy shit-balls, Nicole!” Waverly exclaimed.

“I started hanging out with a random group of misfits. Bumming cigarettes off them outside of church instead of going inside. Then I dropped out of school, tried to join the police academy, and somehow wound up back in Purgatory, living in the Nedley’s apartment and finishing highschool. And here we are.” Nicole said with a small smile. 

“Wow, we went through some pretty messed up stuff.” Waverly said, with a small chuckle.

“And here we are, only a little bit fucked up.” Nicole said, grinning.

“Yeah, only a little bit,” Waverly said laughing. 

“I mean all things considered. You’re excelling academically and you’re the nicest person in Purgatory. Oh and I think you mentioned something about cheer captain?” Nicole said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I guess you're right. I did okay. You are practically a sheriff prodigy! I mean I’ve never seen Nedley so enthusiastic about anyone. Chrissy couldn’t stop going on about how Sheriff Nedley talks about you at home all the time!” Waverly said, grinning.

“You’re close with Chrissy? And who’s Jeremy and Robin?” Nicole asked, smiling.

“Yeah, Chrissy is probably my closest girl friend, other than you of course. And Jeremy is my lab partner. Robin is my Vice president. Did I mention I’m class president as well?” Waverly said, biting her lip.

“Damn it Earp! Is there anything you can’t do?” Nicole said, grinning. “You amaze me, Waverly Earp.” 

“You’re some Haught-stuff as well.” Waverly joked. Waverly’s phone started ringing. It was Champ.

“Oh fudge-nuggets, Champ’s going to be so mad! I missed the big game! I’m so sorry, I have to go meet Champ for date-night!” Waverly said. “This was amazing. I feel like no time has passed. I’ll text you okay?” Waverly said, quickly typing in her number on Nicole’s phone.

Nicole’s heart dropped and she gave Waverly a sad smile. “Amazing, drive safely!” 

Waverly smiled and ran out of the station. Nicole sighed and got lost in her thoughts. Waverly was dating Champ Hardy and slowly but surely Nicole was falling for his girlfriend. 

_ What a shithead, _ Nicole thought as she went back to doing her paperwork. She picked up her phone and shot Waverly a text. 

“Oh boy, Haught. Get your shit together.” Nicole said, to no one in particular. “Or you’re gonna end up in a mess of a situation."


	3. You Belong With Me

“You're on the phone with your [boyfriend], [he’s] upset

[He’s] goin' off about somethin' that you said

'Cause [he] doesn't get your humor like I do

I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night

I'm listenin' to the kind of music [he] doesn't like

And [he’ll] never know your story like I do

But [you] wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts

[Your] cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers

Dreamin' 'bout the day when you wake up and find

That what you're looking for has been here the whole time

If you could see that I'm the one who understands you

Been here all along, so why can't you see

You belong with me

You belong with me

Walkin' the streets with you and your worn-out jeans

I can't help thinkin' this is how it ought to be

Laughin' on a park bench, thinkin' to myself

"Hey, isn't this easy?"

And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town

I haven't seen it in a while since [he] brought you down

You say you're fine, I know you better than that

Hey, what you doin' with a [guy] like that?”

~Taylor Swift~

Nicole Haught failed to follow her own advice. As the year went on, Nicole fell for Waverly harder and faster. 

She didn’t understand what Waverly saw in Champ. He was a dick to most people but especially to Waverly. 

He was controlling, manipulative and a down right pig. But Nicole, kept it all to herself. She couldn’t bear to upset her Waverly. 

The school year was nearing its end and graduation was nigh. As sort of a pre-celebration, Stephanie Jones offered up her family’s mountain house for a long weekend getaway for the senior class. 

Waverly didn’t really want to go but Champ was adamant that they celebrate. Waverly said she would only go if Nicole would go.

Nicole hadn’t planned on going but she wanted to be there for her best friend. Nicole sat in her room throwing her things into a duffle bag when her phone rang. She smiled when she saw it was Waverly.

“Haught stuff! It’s ya boy Champ. We’re on our way. Be ready at 10!” He said over the trashy music playing. Nicole rolled her eyes.

“Nicole! Don’t forget your hiking boots! You promised me a hike!” Waverly shouted from the driver's seat.

“Of course! See you soon!” She said hanging up. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Champ always riled her up.

She saw the way he’d flirt with other girls. Or steal kisses from Waverly even though she didn’t really want him to. It pissed her off. 

She grinned when she heard Waverly honk from outside. She waved to Chrissy as they both got into the car.

“Hey, hey, hey party people! Who’s ready for a wild weekend?” Chrissy said, grinning.

“I promised your dad I’d keep an eye on you hooligans. But I’m ready to let loose a bit.” Nicole said, imitating Nedley.

“What good old dad doesn’t know, won’t hurt him.” Chrissy said with a wink.

“I’m excited to drink for the first time.” Waverly said, smiling.

“Wait, you’re telling me you’ve never drank before? Wynonna never gave you anything? C’mon that girl is a wild one!” Champ said, clearly shocked.

“No, she never had the chance. She’s been gone since she was 14. Don’t you dare talk about my sister.” Waverly said, angrily. 

“Woooah babe chill, I was just joking around. You need to relax babe, you’ve been so uptight lately.” Champ said, shaking his head. Nicole could see Waverly’s anger rising and stepped in.

“Cool it Chump. We’re all just here to have a fun weekend. No need to be an ass.” Nicole said, scowling. Champ huffed and the rest of the car ride was silent. 

When they arrived at the cabin, Champ grabbed his bag and ran off into the house to greet his ‘boys’ followed shortly by Chrissy. Nicole rolled her eyes and grabbed her and Waverly’s bags from the trunk.

“Oh, you didn’t have to grab that!” Waverly said, with a small smile.

“I know, I wanted to. You seem down, what’s on your mind?” Nicole asked, starting her way towards the house.

“It’s nothing really, Champ’s kinda just being rude lately. He’s probably just tired.” Waverly shrugged it off.

“I’m sorry that’s happening. You should just take this weekend for yourself. Do what you want to. Not what he wants to do.” Nicole suggested with a dimpled grin.

“I think you're right! Let’s have a fun weekend.” Waverly said, smiling as they walked into the house.

The party was already chaotic. The boys were playing beer pong and to no one’s surprise, Champ was already playing.

Waverly smiled and grabbed Nicole’s hand, dragging her into the bedroom where Nicole, Chrissy and Waverly were assigned to be sleeping. After dropping their bags, they joined the party.

Waverly walked into the kitchen and browsed the booze selection.

“Have you had any of this before?” Waverly asked looking back at Nicole, slightly overwhelmed by the options.

“Yeah. I used to hang out with some shady people. I’m a big fan of whiskey but I think you’d like wine or maybe coconut rum. It’s up to you honestly.” Nicole laughed, grabbing a beer. 

“Waves, let me. Steph showed me how to make this really yummy one.” Chrissy said, handing her a solo cup. Waverly shrugged and took a sip. 

“Wow this tastes just like juice!” Waverly exclaimed, wide eyed. Nicole laughed. 

“Careful, that’s how you’ll end up on your ass.” Nicole said, opening her beer and taking a sip.

The girls sat down with Jeremy and Robin and played some board games for a while in one of the other rooms. Nicole watched Waverly’s walls come down slightly as the alcohol took its effect and decided to stop drinking after a bit.

Waverly excused herself to grab another drink and Nicole followed after her. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Champ slapping Stephanie’s ass.

“What the hell Champ!” Waverly said, crossing her arms.

“Oh my god, baby I’m so sorry. I swear it was for a dare! Wanna join us?” Champ said, giving her his best puppy dog face.

“Fine, but stay away from her!” Waverly said, grabbing another drink and joining their circle. Waverly dragged Nicole into the circle with her.

The game dragged on for a while. Waverly was pretty heated when the game ended. Champ had dared Nicole to give him a lap dance. 

She refused and had to shotgun a beer as punishment. Champ was impressed and challenged her to a shotgun competition. It ended with Nicole shotgunning 3 beers in a row and Champ barely finishing 2 before he barely made it outside in time for them all to come back up.

Waverly, being the good girlfriend that she was, patted his back and handed him water. But the same time she watched Nicole laugh and start a game of Never Have I Ever through the window.

Waverly stumbled slightly as she sat back down next to Nicole. 

“Never have I ever kissed a girl and liked it.” Chrissy said, smirking. 

Nicole bit her lip and drank. She was surprised to see Waverly also sip out of her cup. 

“Oh my god, who?!” Stephanie asked, staring at Waverly. Champ gave her a dirty look.

“This isn’t twenty questions, shut up!” Waverly slurred.

“Okay okay chill. Never have I ever dated Champ.” Stephanie smirked, looking directly at Waverly.

Waverly took a sip and rolled her eyes. Nicole didn’t like this Stephanie chick at all. 

“Never have I ever slept with Champ.” A random girl asked. Champ looked panicked for a second as Waverly, Stephanie and two other girls took a sip. 

The game got boring after a while and Stephanie decided to throw on some music so people could dance. Nicole excused herself to the restroom.

Champ grinned when he realized Waverly was finally alone. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close.

“Whaddya say we ditch this party and have our own fun upstairs.” Champ whispered seductively in Waverly’s ear.

“Mmm no I’d rather not” Waverly slurred, pulling away from him. Champ held her wrist tighter.

“C’mon baby we haven’t done it in so long.” Champ said pouting. He planted sloppy kisses on her neck and grabbed her ass. Waverly tried to pull away but his grip was too tight and she was too drunk.

“Hey Chimp! Let her go.” Nicole said, prying his hands off her.

“Leave us alone Red, this is between me and my girlfriend!” Champ said angrily.

“Oh yeah, and this is between you and my fist.” She said, knocking him out in one punch.

All of Champs boys “oohed'' as he hit the floor. Nicole grabbed Waverly and helped her into the bedroom. 

“Oh my god. I will kill him if he puts a hand on you again!” Nicole said, fuming. “Are you alright?” 

Waverly nodded and threw her arms around Nicole, bursting into tears. Nicole held Waverly close. 

“Shhh, it’s okay. You’re okay. I’ve got you.” Nicole said, kissing her head gently. 

After a while, Waverly calmed down and Nicole helped her get ready for bed. They laid down next to each other and Waverly cuddled into Nicole.

Nicole didn’t have it in her to move her so she wrapped a protective arm around her best friend and they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning was just as chaotic as the night before. A loud bang woke Waverly up extremely hungover and extremely confused about how she got to bed.

She sat up slowly shielding her eyes from the light. A soft chuckle made her open her eyes wider. She smiled slightly when she saw Nicole sitting there with a bagel with vegan butter and her water bottle filled.

“Was I hit with a bus last night?” Waverly asked, rubbing her temples.

“No, but you did drink a surprising amount of alcohol. Here take these and try to eat the bagel. It’ll help.” Nicole said, handing her the water and 3 ibuprofen. “How much do you remember from last night?” Nicole said, biting her lip anxiously. 

“I remember wanting to punch Stephanie in the face after she targeted me in Never Have I Ever but after that is a blur. Did you bring me to bed?” Waverly asked, taking the pills and attempting to eat the bagel.

“I did. I rescued you from Champ who was trying to have sex with you. I sorta knocked him out…” Nicole said, taking a bite out of her bagel. 

Waverly inhaled sharply. The memories began to flow back in, in a fury. She put down her bagel and started crying.

“What would I do without you? Last night could have ended so differently…” She said sniffling. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll always have me. Where you go, I go.” Nicole said, squeezing her hand.

“I’m gonna confront him right now.” Waverly said angrily and stormed out of the bedroom. 

She stopped when she found Champ making out with Stephanie in the kitchen. She shook her head and ran back into the bedroom. 

“Take me home Nicole. I don’t want to be here anymore. I’d drive myself but the room is spinning. I don’t care about Chrissy and Champ. They can find another way home!” Waverly said, angrily packing up her things.

Nicole nodded and began packing her things. She grabbed Waverly’s bag for her and walked her out of the house. They didn’t turn around even though Champ called out after them. 

Nicole threw their things in the back of the car and got in. The drive home was relatively silent. They had to stop 3 times so Waverly could vomit out the side door of the car. 

_ Nicole is an angel _ , Waverly thought as she washed her mouth out.

“I’m sorry you had to leave early and deal with me. And I’m sorry for puking on your sneakers” Waverly spoke up finally. 

“Are you kidding? I hated being there. And I’d do anything for you. Even if it means having to get new shoes.” Nicole chuckled, attempting to clean up her shoes.

The rest of the drive was more light hearted. When they finally reached Nicole’s apartment, Waverly was in a better mood and feeling much better than she had before.

“Thanks again for everything. I don’t know how to thank you.” Waverly said, smiling as she got out to help Nicole grab her stuff.

“Seriously stop thanking me. I’d do anything for you.” Nicole said, hugging her a little tighter than usual.

“Okay fine. I love you, Nicole.” Waverly said, smiling up at her.

“I love you too.” Nicole replied. _ More than you know _ …, she thought. “I’ll see you at school Monday?”

“Definitely. I’ll facetime you tomorrow to let you know what happens with Champ.” Waverly said, getting back in her car and pulling away.

Nicole sighed and waved as Waverly drove off. 

“God, I’m so in deep…” Nicole said, shaking her head, and walking inside.


	4. Teardrops on My Guitar

“Drew talks to me, I laugh 'cause it is just so funny

That I can't even see anyone when [she's] with me

[She] says [she's] so in love, [she's] finally got it right,

I wonder if [she] knows [she's] all I think about at night

[She's] the reason for the teardrops on my guitar

The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star

[She's] the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do”

~Taylor Swift~

Much to Nicole’s chagrin, Waverly ended up not breaking up with Champ. She claimed that he promised he wouldn’t do it again, but Nicole didn’t believe him one bit. The weeks leading up to graduation were hectic and Nicole barely had time to see Waverly.

Graduation was bitter sweet. Waverly missed out on her valedictorian speech to watch Champ play video games, which honestly pissed Nicole off. They were supposed to take photos together afterward but Waverly never showed. 

Nicole drove up to Gus’s after graduation and knocked on the door. She wasn’t surprised when Champ answered the door.

“Oh it’s you. Babe, your girlfriend is here!” Champ said, laughing hysterically at his own joke.

“I’m not her girlfriend!” Nicole said, flustered. 

“Nicole! Oh my gosh, I completely forgot I was meeting you for pics! I’m so sorry!” Waverly said, stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

“Yeah, you kinda totally blew off the whole thing. What gives?” Nicole said, trying to hide her frustration.

“Champ wanted me to watch him play video games. He got to level 70 on one guy!” Waverly said, somewhat proudly. Nicole shook her head.

“Seems like a shitty reason to blow off your graduation. And hanging out with me.” Nicole scoffed. 

“Woah, I said I was sorry. What’s up, you seem tense?” Waverly asked, surprised at Nicole’s tone.

“Look, I leave for the big city tomorrow for the academy. I’ll be gone for god knows how long and I don’t know when you can come visit. I don’t want to miss out on any time with you before I go. Waverly, I’m going to miss you so much” Nicole said, tearing up.

“Tomorrow?! I thought we had more time than that! Nicole, I didn’t know. Please, let me make it up to you.” She said, throwing her arms around Nicole and hugging her tight.

“I’ll give you an hour to get rid of Champ, then I’ll be back to pick you up. Wear good walking shoes!” Nicole said grinning and pulling away. 

“Okay! What are we doing?” Waverly asked, curiously.

“It’s a surprise! See you in an hour!” Nicole said, hopping back in her car and driving away. 

Nicole had the perfect plan. She had always wanted to take Waverly to her favorite hidden waterfall just off her favorite hiking path and it was the perfect day for it. 

Nicole gathered a bunch of things from the grocery store for a picnic. After grabbing the graduation/ parting gift that she had gotten for Waverly from her apartment, it was time for her to pick Waverly up.

She pulled up into Waverly’s driveway and grinned when she saw Waverly waiting for her on the porch. She unlocked the door and Waverly hopped in.

“Okay, please tell me where we’re going, I’m dying to know!” Waverly said excitedly.

“I told you it’s a surprise! Don’t worry it’s fun, I promise! Was Champ mad?” Nicole asked, turning the radio on.

“Yeah, but I told him that I’d come over later and he seemed to be fine with that.” Waverly shrugged.

“I bought stuff for a picnic, I hope you're hungry.” Nicole said, pulling into the parking lot. “We’ll have to walk the rest of the way. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind. I love spending time with you.” Waverly grinned, getting out of the car.

Nicole grabbed the picnic things and got out as well. They walked along the path and chatted about what Waverly missed from graduation. They rounded a bend and the waterfall came into view. Waverly gasped and smiled wide.

“Nicole, this is amazing! How did you find this?” Waverly asked, helping Nicole set up the picnic blanket and spread.

“I stumbled across it one day while I was out running. It’s breathtaking.” Nicole said, pouring two plastic glasses of sparking apple cider. “Happy Graduation, Waves. I’m so proud of you”

“Aw thanks, Nic.I’m proud of you too. I can’t believe your leaving so soon. I’m really going to miss you.” Waverly said, sadly.

“No sadness. I promise I won’t be gone long and we’ll talk everyday. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Nicole said with a laugh. Waverly grinned.

“Thank god for technology.” Waverly said, eating her food.

“I know we’ve never talked about it but do you have any plans now that we’ve graduated?” Nicole asked.

“ I dunno. I guess I never thought this far. I’ve been so caught up in worrying about my family drama, I never really made any plans.” Waverly said with a sigh.

“Your family does not define you. I’m a clear example of that. Waves, your passion for history is unmatched by anyone I know. You should pursue it! I know you’ll be amazing.” Nicole said, grinning.

“But I couldn't leave town. Shorty has a bad heart and he really needs me around. And besides, Champ would never let me.” Waverly said, sadly.

“First of all, who gives a fuck what Champ thinks. He doesn’t control you. You could always do classes online and still work for Shorty. Waves, I think it’s time you start doing things for you and stop worrying about what everyone else thinks.” Nicole said, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze.

Waverly thought for a moment before throwing her arms around Nicole. Nicole hugged Waverly close.

“No one has ever asked me what I wanted. Or cared enough to ask. Champ would never.” Waverly said. Nicole pulled away and looked deeply into Waverly’s eyes.

“Waves, you’re extraordinary in every way. And if people haven’t noticed that, well they’re clearly not very smart, because it’s pretty obvious.” Nicole said, strongly fighting the urge to kiss her.

Waverly teared up and felt herself leaning in towards Nicole. Their faces were inches apart when Waverly’s phone started ringing. Nicole pulled away quickly and cleared her throat.

Clearly flustered, Waverly answered the phone. Her face fell immediately. After talking for a brief moment she hung up.

“Wynonna’s home. C-can you take me back to Gus’s please, I need to see her before she leaves again.” Waverly said, shaking slightly.

“Of course. Let’s go.” Nicole said, understanding but also trying to hide her disappointment. She quickly cleaned up and they headed back to the car.

The drive home was silent. Nicole parked once they got back to Gus’s and hugged Waverly tight.

“It’ll be okay. If I don’t see you tomorrow before I leave, I promise to call once I’m in the big city. I love you Waves.” Nicole said, trying not to cry.

“No, no. This can't be goodbye, I’ll stop by to see you before you go. I gotta go for now.” Waverly said, pulling away and getting out of the car. She gave a quick wave before running into the house.

Nicole tried to stop her tears from falling but it was no use. She pulled away and drove home. She quickly pulled herself together and walked into her apartment. 

She was surprised when the door was unlocked and her bedroom light was on. She grabbed her softball bat and walked up the stairs.She kicked the door open and jumped into the room fully ready to fight.

“Jesus christ, Nicole! It’s only me!” Nedley said, clearly startled.

“Oh, sorry. I thought someone broke in.” She chuckled. 

“Nope, just this old mule. I uh, wanted to give you this before you leave.” Nedley said, handing her a photo album. “I had Chrissy and Waverly gather some photos that you could bring to the academy with you. Incase you get homesick.” 

“This is amazing, thank you Sheriff.” Nicole said, smiling and tearing up. 

“Just remember to turn the lights off when you leave this place. Goodluck.” He said, patting her shoulder and leaving the room. 

Nicole sighed and began packing her things. She understood that Waverly needed to be with her sister, but a part of her was jealous. Deep down she knew the chances of seeing Waverly before she left were slim. 

She hopped into the shower and got ready for bed. Nicole could barely sleep. She kept thinking about how her and Waverly nearly kissed earlier that day. Did Waverly feel something towards her or was it all in her head.

The next morning Nicole woke up early and sent a text to Waverly. She double checked her packing job and waited for Waverly to respond. She had a brief breakfast with Nedley and Chrissy before getting into her car and headed over to Gus’s.

_Maybe she isn't looking at her phone. I’ll just surprise her_ , Nicole thought as she got out and knocked on the door. She smiled when Curtis answered the door.

“Hi, is Waverly home?” Nicole asked politely. 

“Ya just missed her! She went out to lunch with her Aunt and sister. But I can have her shoot ya a text when she’s done.” Curtis said smiling.

“That’ll be great thanks, just let her know that I stopped by and that I’ll talk to her soon.” Nicole said with a sad smile. Curtis nodded and waved as she went back to her car and drove away.

For the second time in her life, Nicole Haught left Purgatory without getting a proper goodbye. 

She drove to the big city rethinking everything that happened in the past few days. When she arrived at the academy, she checked in and got settled into her bunk. She barely had time to text Waverly before it was time for orientation.

By the time Nicole got back to her dorm, it was too late to call Waverly. After a few weeks they developed a pattern and tried to talk to each other once or twice a week. It wasn’t nearly the same but it was better than nothing.

At some point, their conversations turned into a rare thing that happened maybe once a month. It wasn’t anyone’s fault in particular, life had just gotten wild.

Waverly finished her classes and continued working at Shorty’s despite many interesting disappearances and weird crimes being committed. She was determined to investigate what was going on. 

She had gotten so caught up in everything it almost seemed as if she’d forgotten Nicole. At least that’s how Nicole felt. 

After graduating top of her class at the academy Nicole decided to travel a bit to clear her head and visit the greatest rock climbing places in America. Nicole never once stopped thinking about Waverly. 

A few years drifted by and things in Purgatory became a shitshow. Nedley reached out to Nicole recruiting her to be his deputy. He was in over his head and could really use her help.

Nicole was finally heading back to Purgatory. Finally, heading back to the women she loved. 

And this time, she was ready to tell her so.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment suggestions! I love to hear from my readers!


	5. This Love

“Tossing, turning, struggle through the night for someone new

And I could go on and on, on and on

Lanterns burning, flickered in the mind only you

But you were still gone, gone, gone

Been losing grip, on sinking ships

You showed up, just in time

This love is good

This love is bad

This love is a life back from the dead, oh

These hands had to let it go free

And this love came back to me, oh

This love left a permanent mark

This love is glowing in the dark, oh

These hands had to let it go free

And this love came back to me, oh”

~Taylor Swift~

Nicole walked into her apartment and grinned when she saw Nedley had laid out her Sheriff’s uniform for her along with a note:

**_Nicole, meet me at the station. I have a lot to fill you in on.-Nedley_ **

Nicole put every piece of her uniform on with care and pulled her hair into a tight braided bun. She looked in the mirror as she donned her stetson and smiled.

“Wow, this is totally awesome!” She said out loud to no one in particular. She gathered her things and drove herself to the station. 

She walked in and greeted Lonnie with a smile. Her smile fell when Sheriff Nedley motioned to her to go into the station conference room.

“Nicole! Welcome back, I hope you’re ready for a doozy. A lot has changed since you last left.” Nedley said, handing her a coffee. 

“Thanks, what's with all the equipment and new guys hanging around.” Nicole asked, looking out the window into the neighboring office.

“That’s the Black Badge division. They’re here to investigate some recent unsavory activity in Purgatory. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You should probably sit down for this.” Nedley said, pulling out a chair.

“I don’t need to sit down. Tell me what’s going on.” Nicole said, frustratedly.

“Well, since you left people have been disappearing. And the crime rate has gone up exponentially. We think it has to do with Bobo Del Rey and his associates. We think he’s running an underground mafia in Purgatory. It has something to do with the Earps. No one really knows anything for sure, we’re still trying to figure it out.” Nedley explained, sipping his coffee nonchalantly. 

“Wait a minute, hold up. You’re telling me Purgatory is overrun by the mob and it has something to do with the Earps. As in Waverly and Wynonna Earp. You’ve got to be freaking kidding me?!” Nicole said, exasperated. 

“It gets worse. Curtis McCready must have known something about it. Found him dead on the Earp homestead a few weeks ago. Waverly must know something about it too because no one’s seen her. She’s missing.” Nedley explained. “Wynonna and our new friend Deputy Marshall Dolls have been working to find her for weeks.” 

Nicole felt like she couldn’t breathe. The love of her life, missing and she had been thinking that Waverly was ignoring her.

“What can I do to help? We have to find her. If I get my hands on that dirtbag Bobo I’ll scalp him, I swear!” Nicole said, slamming her fist onto the table.

“Officer Haught, take a minute to breathe. I know Waverly is your friend, but if you’re going to work on this case you need to control yourself. Deputy Marshall Dolls and his team are waiting for you in their office. They’ll debrief you as soon as you're ready.” Nedley said, patting her shoulder. 

Nicole took a deep breath and nodded before walking into the BBD office. 

“Officer Haught, It’s nice of you to join us. Wynonna, Doc and I were just planning our mission. We have reason to believe that Waverly is being held in an abandoned warehouse down near the biker bar.” Dolls said, pointing to a map on the table.

“Hey there Haught sauce, we’ve never met. I’m Wynonna.” Wynonna said, sticking out her hand for a handshake. 

“We don’t have time to get all buddy buddy, what’s the plan.” Nicole said brushing Wynonna off. Wynonna looked offended.

“You and Wynonna are going to try and get into the warehouse while me and Doc scope out the bar. If things go south, you’ll have an earpiece so we can come to you or vice versa. Do you think you’re up for that?” Dolls asked.

“Of course I get stuck with you…” Nicole whispered under her breath. “Absolutely, I’m in.” She said to Dolls. Wynonna looked offended again.

“When do we leave?” Wynonna asked, putting Peacemaker in her boot.

“As soon as you’re ready.” Dolls said. “We’ll go in two cars.” 

Nicole grabbed everything she needed and walked out to her squad car. 

“What’s with the stick up your ass?” Wynonna asked, getting into the car.

“Nothing, let’s just focus on getting Waverly back.” Nicole said, hopping into the car and loading her gun. “Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?” 

“Bad guys are doing bad stuff. We kill the bad guys.” Wynonna said, as they drove away from the station.

“Bullshit. There’s something more to it than that. Someone’s targeting you. Why?” Nicole asked.

“I dunno, I only got involved because of my sister, how could it--” 

“Be connected to you? Yeah, I’d really like to know. I’d also really like to know how you’re working for BBD while having a criminal record?” Nicole interrupted. 

“BBD specializes in criminal ring activity that are two complex for rookie flat foots, so it makes sense why you're confused.” Wynonna said snarkily. 

“I’m not confused. I want to know why someone abducted Waverly. She could be seriously hurt. Or worse.” Nicole said, angrily.

“You seem awfully obsessed with my sister. How do I know you're not working for the enemy?!” Wynonna questioned.

“I care about her she’s the lov- she’s my best friend, which you would have known if you’d actually been around and been there for her!” Nicole said spitefully. 

Wynonna got quiet as they pulled up to the bar. Nicole hopped out without saying another word. They walked up to the warehouse door and Nicole went to open it but Wynonna beat her to it. Wynonna kicked the door open.

“Baby girl, I’m coming for ya!” Wynonna yelled as she and Nicole rushed in. The room was dark, eerily quiet and empty.

“Shut up, Wynonna!” Nicole yelled in a whisper. 

They walked through the large room quietly and noticed a closed door with light streaming under it. Nicole motioned for them to walk over to it quietly. Wynonna did as she was asked. 

Nicole opened the door slowly and three tall and burly men stood up from their chairs.

“I’m Deputy Sheriff Haught, stand down!” Nicole yelled, drawing her gun at the men. 

The men laughed and one of them picked her up and threw her to the side. 

“Holy shit balls!” Wynonna said, as she dodged one of the other guys. Wynonna punched guy number 3 in the throat and shot him in the chest. 

She turned around just in time to drop kick guy number two into guy number 1 and send them hurdling into a pillar. She took a deep breath and helped Nicole up.

“You alright, Haught stuff?” Wynonna asked, putting her gun back in her boot.

“This is way different than the academy.” She wheezed, straightening out her uniform. “Waverly!” She gasped, looking past Wynonna. 

“Holy shit, baby girl! Nicole go find some bolt cutters!” Wynonna said, dashing over to Waverly.

Waverly was chained to a wall unconscious and looking worse for wear. Wynonna removed the blindfold and gag from Waverly and checked if she was breathing. She sighed in relief when she was.

“C’mon baby girl, wake up. It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Wynonna said, gently caressing her face. “Look at what they did to you. I swear I’m gonna kill every last one of them for this.” She said angrily. 

Nicole came back and cut Waverly loose. She fell limply into Wynonna’s arms. Nicole took her smelling salts out of her pocket and waved them under Waverly’s nose. She jerked awake and started thrashing frantically and screaming.

“Shh, Waves. It’s me! Wynonna. And Nicole. Don’t worry you’re safe now.” Wynonna said, pulling her close, tears threatening to fall. 

Waverly opened her eyes and looked at Wynonna and then Nicole. She burst into tears and hugged them both. 

“I-I thought n-no one was e-ever going to f-find me. N-Nicole, I-I’m so sorry. Y-You must think I-I abandoned you--” Waverly started to apologize but Nicole stopped her.

“Waverly don’t. Let’s get you out of here. We can talk when you're better.” Nicole hugged her gently, tears freely falling. 

Waverly nodded and held onto Nicole weakly. Nicole looked at Wynonna and she shrugged. Nicole picked Waverly up and stared to head out

“Not bad Earp, we did good.” Nicole said, turning to Wynonna. She looked around confused when Wynonna wasn’t there. “Wynonna?” 

“NICOLE RUN!” Wynonna yelled, from the bad guy's arms. “GET WAVERLY TO SAFETY!” 

Nicole ran as fast as she could. She put Waverly in the backseat of the car and dashed back into the warehouse to save Wynonna.

“Not today assholes!” Nicole said, picking up a baseball bat and swinging it at the guy choking Wynonna. 

His body went limp and he dropped Wynonna. Nicole shot him and the other two guys again for good measure.

“Earp!” Nicole bent down and slapped her face a couple times to try and wake her. “Oh no, you’re not breathing!” She straddled Wynonna and started doing CPR.

Wynonna gasped and started coughing. “I-If you’re gonna kiss me, you at least should buy me dinner first,” Wynonna said, catching her breath.

“God damn it Earp!” Nicole said, sliding off of her and flopping onto her back. 

“You came back. I didn’t think you would.” Wynonna said, regaining her breath. “Thank you.”

“I couldn’t let you die, Waverly would have killed me” Nicole said, helping Wynonna up. 

“That she would have. Let’s get going before anyone else comes back.” Wynonna said, as they walked out to the squad car. 

They were relieved when Waverly was still in the backseat unconscious to the world. Wynonna texted Dolls to tell them they were headed to the hospital to meet them there. 

“You’re not so bad Haught. Thanks for being there for my sister, I’m glad she had you when I couldn't be around.” Wynonna said, looking out the window.

“I don’t understand why you did what you did, but if you’re willing to explain it, maybe we can be friends?” Nicole asked.

“Friends? I’d like that.” Wynonna said, pushing the siren button.

“God damn it, Earp! Can you leave anything alone?! We were having a moment and you ruined it!” Nicole was frustrated at first, but broke into a small smile. 

They pulled into the hospital parking lot and Nicole drove up to the doors. Wynonna got out and picked Waverly up.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, please keep me updated!” Nicole said worriedly. “Duty calls.”

“Haha you said duty. But absolutely, I’ll keep you updated!’ Wynonna said, walking into the hospital, carrying Waverly.

Nicole sighed and drove back to the crime scene to meet Nedley. She would much rather be by Waverly’s side but she knew it was her job to go do the crime scene clean up. 

Nicole wasn’t sure why all of this was happening but she knew one thing, it was definitely dangerous and it involved the women she loved. Nicole was ready to dig in to her new role as Deputy Sheriff, and now she was even more ready to confess her love to Waverly.

Nicole had almost lost her and she’d be damned if she lost her without telling her that she loved her.


	6. Lover

“We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January

This is our place, we make the rules

And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear

Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home

You're my, my, my, my lover

We could let our friends crash in the living room

This is our place, we make the call

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you

I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

~Taylor Swift~

Nicole finished up her report as quick as she could and made her way back to the hospital. She stopped by the hospital gift shop and grabbed the prettiest bouquet of flowers they had, and asked the nurses station which room was Waverly’s.

She figured Wynonna could use a break after being there all afternoon. She walked up and knocked on the door gently and walked in. 

She smiled slightly when she saw Wynonna asleep in the armchair and Waverly resting peacefully. 

Her smile fell when she took a closer look at Waverly. She looked so small laying in the hospital bed. Her face was pale and bruised. A small cut right above her left eyebrow had been stitched and her arm was in a sling.

Nicole placed the flowers on the window sill and went over to Wynonna, shaking her gently to wake her up. Wynonna woke up with a start and pulled Peacemaker out of her boot, pointing it straight at Nicole.

“Oh shit...it’s you. Sorry…” Wynonna said, quickly putting the gun away and sitting up.

“No worries, I understand being on edge. I figured I could sit here for a while if you wanted to take a break.” Nicole suggested, with a small smile.

“That would be nice...please keep me updated if anything changes. I’ll run home and get her some of her things and I’ll get a change of clothes as well.” Wynonna said, standing up and stretching. “Thank you for saving her, and me…” She said reluctantly. 

“Anytime Earp. It’s kind of my job” Nicole replied with a smile. Wynonna chuckled and headed out.

Nicole said down and gave Waverly’s hand a squeeze. After a few moments, Waverly began to stir.

“Hey Waves, welcome back.” Nicole said smiling. Waverly groaned and tried to sit up. Nicole gently pushed her back down. “Don’t try to move, it’s going to hurt.”

“Nicole, I’m so sorry. You must have thought--” Waverly started to apologize but Nicole interrupted her.

“No, Waverly. I’ll admit I was pretty upset when we stopped talking, but now that I know why we did, you have nothing to apologize for. I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.” Nicole said, tears falling. 

Waverly smiled sadly and wiped away her tears. “Shh, I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here.”

“What the hell happened while I was away? Purgatory has gone to shit!” Nicole said, trying to figure out what’s going on. 

“Well, not long after you left I started to notice strange men hanging out in Shorty’s. And this man named Doc Holliday showed up and told me all this stuff about my family and how it was linked to a huge mafia ring. 

So naturally, I started researching and snooping around. Then Wynonna showed up shortly after my Uncle died, and confirmed everything Doc said. Then I was abducted and tortured for a month.” Waverly blurted out, as she started panicking. Nicole grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Hey...it’s going to be alright. How’s Champ? Why hasn’t he been here yet? Do I need to beat his ass again?” Nicole said, trying to lighten the mood.

“I broke up with Champ a few days before I was abducted. Everything happened so fast and I didn’t see anything coming so I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I’ve been a horrible friend, you shouldn’t be nice to me.” Waverly said, sighing. 

“You know, I think you’re going through a lot and have been dating too many shitheads.” Nicole said, chuckling.

“We’re not dating!” Waverly said.

“I know, geez Waverly I never thought we were. You’ve just been through hell and back I’d never ask you out right now.” Nicole said, slightly flustered, having planned to ask her out.

“Good. You're my best friend, we wouldn’t want to ruin that, right?” Waverly said, biting her lip.

“Nope, definitely wouldn’t want that…” Nicole said, standing up. “I’ve got to head back to the station. I’ll see you soon.” 

“Oh, okay...I’ll see you soon.” Waverly said, disappointed she had to leave.

“Oh by the way, those flowers are for you.” Nicole said with a small smile, before leaving the room. 

Later that day, Waverly was discharged and told to be careful about moving around so much. Wynonna promised to take good care of her as they drove back to the homestead. 

The two sisters spent the evening on the couch by a roaring fire. Waverly seemed more quiet than usual and Wynonna was concerned and extremely drunk.

“Babygirl, what’s your deal? Are you giving me the silent treatment?” Wynonna slurred, patting her leg.

“No, Wynonna. I just have a lot on my mind…” Waverly said, sipping her tea.

“If it's about those shit tickets, don’t worry baby girl. I’m gonna kill every last one of them, I swear.” Wynonna said. 

“No it's just, have you ever been so scared to do something because it’s totally different than anything you’ve ever done before but you can’t get past it?” Waverly asked, turning to look at Wynonna.

“Oh totally. I never thought I’d come back to Purgatory and stay here, but like here I am.” Wynonna said, completely missing the point. “Honestly, if you’re scared to do something because of what people will think. Fuck them, babygirl. If it’s gonna make you happy again, I say fucking go for it!” Wynonna said, sipping her whiskey.

Waverly nodded and yawned. “I think I'm going to head to sleep. See you tomorrow.” 

“Night Waves. I hope you figure out whatever it is you’re trying to figure out. ” Wynonna said, smiling, half asleep.

The next morning Waverly woke up late and began to figure out her plan. After brunch, she showered and decided to work on her research for a while. 

When she finished, she looked at the clock and grinned when she noticed it was 4 o’clock. She put her research away and headed to the sheriff’s office. 

She walked into the sheriff’s office and took a deep breath. She was about to do something she had never done before.

“Waverly! I thought the doctor said you should limit your movement, what are you doing here?” Nicole said grinning but concerned.

“Are you here alone?” She asked nervously.

“Yeah, Nedley’s at Shorty’s. Why are you okay? Is something wrong?” Nicole asked.

Waverly didn’t respond as she went into Nedley’s office and started shutting all the blinds with her good hand.

“Waves? What are you doing?” Nicole followed her in, looking at her confused.

“Excuse me.” She said, brushing past her to close the door.

‘Waverly, what is--” Waverly cut Nicole off with a powerful kiss. 

Nicole was taken aback but allowed Waverly to push her onto the couch in the corner of the room. Nicole pulled away for a second.

“What happened to not wanting to ruin the friendship?” Nicole asked, looking up at her. Waverly sat back on her heels.

“I’ve wasted so much of my life doing what other people wanted me to do and worrying about what other people might say. I’m ready to do something for myself for a change. 

The entire time I was taken all I could think about was you. And even though I was scared, I was more scared of the thought that I’d never get to see you again. That I’d never get the chance to tell you how I feel about you. I’m honestly more scared of what’s sitting right in front of me” Waverly blurted out all at once.

“I scare you?” Nicole said, with a small smile.

“Yes. Because I don’t want to be your friend anymore. I want to be more than friends.” Waverly said, biting her lip. “I have no idea how to do this so please jump in at anytime, Nicole”

“Waverly Earp, it took you god damn long enough.” Nicole chuckled. “I’m sure you know perfectly well how to do this.” 

“Maybe I should just stop talking.” Waverly said.

“See, you’re getting better at this already.” Nicole said, pulling Waverly closer by her scarf. 

“Maybe you should stop talking too.” Waverly said, looking deeply into Nicole’s eyes.

“Maybe you should make me?” Nicole replied with a grin. 

Waverly kissed Nicole passionately. Years of friendship could not compare to the feelings Nicole and Waverly felt in that very moment. 

After all those hard times and chaotic years, Waverly finally realized just how much Nicole meant to her. And even though they had barely just started dating, Waverly knew deep down in her soul, that she loved Nicole Haught more than anyone she ever had loved before.


	7. Cold as You

“You have a way of coming easily to me

And when you take, you take the very best of me

So I start a fight 'cause I need to feel somethin'

And you do what you want 'cause I'm not what you wanted

Oh, what a shame

What a rainy ending given to a perfect day

Just walk away

Ain't no use defending words that you will never say

And now that I'm sittin' here thinkin' it through

I've never been anywhere cold as you”

~Taylor Swift~

Keeping their relationship a secret was probably the most difficult thing Nicole and Waverly had ever had to do. That was a bit of an exaggeration, but it still was pretty hard. 

They took every opportunity they could to find a secluded corner to make out in. It didn’t make it any easier that Wynonna was notorious for interrupting them.

Sure, they were in the middle of trying to figure out Bobo’s plan, but that didn’t stop the two lovebirds from having a few moments to themselves.

Waverly skipped into the kitchen one morning after Nicole had stayed the night. She gasped when she realized Wynonna was sitting at the kitchen table.

“Oh hey! When did you get home? I thought you and Dolls were out on surveillance all weekend?” Waverly said, smiling awkwardly. 

“Hey baby girl! Yeah we still are. Just popped in this morning to grab my flask, I forgot it. I should be home tomorrow. I’ll call you if anything changes.” Wynonna said, walking out the front door.

Waverly let out the breath she was holding and went ahead with her plan of making Nicole breakfast before she left for her shift. 

Nicole woke up and grinned realizing she was in Waverly’s bed. She sat up and checked her phone. Waverly knocked on the door and walked in.

“Good morning baby! I made you breakfast!” Waverly said cheerfully, handing the tray over to Nicole and sitting down on the edge of the bed. 

“Baby, this is amazing thank you!” Nicole said, giving Waverly a quick peck on the lips before digging into the food. “Mmm, this is so good” 

“I’m glad! Anything for my best baby!” Waverly said, walking over to her closet. “I wish we didn't have to work today.”

“I know baby, but tonight we’ll have the whole house to ourselves.” Nicole said, sipping her coffee. 

“And I have the perfect outfit for it.” Waverly grins, teasing her a little. 

“Oh I’ll be ready. Thank you again for breakfast. I better get going. See you later.” Nicole said, giving her a kiss goodbye. 

“Bye baby! Have a good day at work!” Waverly said, getting ready to head to her shift at Shorty’s. 

Waverly got into her jeep and drove to Shorty’s. Her shift started off pretty normal. A few locals kept hitting on her but that wasn’t anything new. Waverly felt like something was off but she couldn’t figure out what.

Meanwhile, Wynonna and Dolls were busy doing surveillance. Wynonna nearly fell asleep a few times but something strange caught her eye. She did a double take but the woman was gone. She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Wynonna, you look like you just saw a ghost, what’s up?” Dolls asked, looking out the window with binoculars. 

“Nothing, I just-nevermind. I need to either stop drinking before noon or start drinking more.” Wynonna said, playing it off. Dolls shrugged and didn’t push her any further. 

Waverly couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She walked up to her most recent set of customers and smiled. The man seemed angry and the women he had with him seemed quiet and nervous.

“How can I help y’all today?” Waverly said, cheerfully.

“I’ll have a beer and she’ll have water.” the man said gruffly as the woman nodded solemnly. 

Waverly thought it was strange that the man was ordering for her, but went ahead and put the order in. She watched them from afar, slightly worried for this girl.

The women seemed to say something that made the man angry. She flinched as he excused himself to make a phone call outside. Waverly quickly grabbed a napkin and scribbled something down before slyly handing the woman the napkin. 

After a few moments the women made eye contact with Waverly and she walked back over to take the napkin discreetly. Waverly went behind the bar and opened the napkin quickly. 

The napkin read:

_ Are you in trouble?  _

_ Yes, please help! _

Waverly looked up and met eyes with the woman. Waverly couldn’t shake the feeling that she recognized this woman. Waverly texted Nicole and asked her to come check out the situation. 

A few minutes later, Nicole walked in smiling. Waverly waved at her to come over to her.

“Hey baby, what’s the situation?” Nicole said, with a warm smile. 

“See that woman over there. I think she’s being held against her will by the gross looking guy you passed on your way in.” Waverly said. “And I can’t shake the feeling that I know her. We have to make sure she’s safe.” 

“No worries baby, I’m here now. I’ve got my squad car out back. Let’s take her to the office and go from there. Grab her and meet me out back.” Nicole said, giving Waverly’s hand a squeeze. Waverly nodded and went over to the woman. 

“Follow me…” Waverly whispered to the woman and started walking out the back through the kitchen. The woman followed shortly after. Nicole smiled at the woman as she quickly got into the cop car. 

“I’ll meet you after my shift okay?” Waverly said with a nod, heading back into Shorty’s. 

The woman sobbed uncontrollably the entire way to the sheriff's office.

Once they made it back, they went back into the questioning room to be extra safe. The woman sat down and Nicole grabbed her a cup of water before she sat down to begin questioning her.

“My name is Deputy Sheriff Nicole Haught. What’s your name?” Nicole asked with a warm smile. 

“My name is Willa. Willa Earp and I’ve been held against my will by the Del Rey family since I was 13 years old.” Willa said, wiping her eyes. “But now I’m finally free” 

Nicole looked at Willa wide eyed for a moment before clearing her throat. 

“Well, you’re safe now. Is there anything you can tell me about the Del Rey family or how it’s related to yours?” Nicole said, taking out her notepad. 

“Oh is there? I can tell you the whole story. From the very beginning..” Willa said cooly. “But I need to see Wynonna first.” 

“That I can arrange no problem. You did already see Waverly. She’s the one who helped you escape.” Nicole said proudly. 

“Yeah that’s great or whatever but where’s Wynonna? I need to see her now.” Willa said, ignoring Nicole’s mention of Waverly. 

“I’ll go get her. Stay put.” Nicole said, a little confused at Willa’s attitude towards Waverly. She walked out of the room and over to BBD.

“Hey, uh Wynonna?” She said, knocking on the door and poking her head in.

“Deputy Haughtshot, what can I do ya for?” Wynonna said, eating a donut. 

Willa pushed past Nicole and ran over to Wynonna. Wynonna choked on the donut she was eating. Willa patted her back and the piece of donut flew out of Wynonna’s mouth and hit Nicole in the face. 

“Willa?!” Wynonna said in shock.

“Yeah, yeah it’s me whatever. Do you have Daddy’s gun? Please say you have it.” Willa said, gripping Wynonna’s arms tightly. 

“Yes of course I do! How are you here?! I thought you were dead!” Wynonna said, tears falling down her face. 

“I’m not. We’ve got to go. Bobo’s planning a huge party and he plans on killing us all. We have to get out of town right now!” Willa said frantically. 

“Woah, woah, woah! Hold up. We have to get Waverly. And we can’t leave, I have to protect this town. My friends are here….my boy-Doc is here. What’s the plan, Willa? We can fight him together!” Wynonna said, frantically pulling out her phone to call Waverly.

Nicole’s radio went off, interrupting the commotion. 

“Deputy Haught, we’ve gotten a call saying people heard gunshots at Shorty’s. Do you copy?” the radio blared. 

Nicole and Wynonna made eye contact and scrambled for the door. 

“Willa you stay here! It’s not safe! We’ll be back. We’ve got to go save our angel!” Wynonna said as they ran out of the office and into Nicole’s squad car.

They raced down the road and were almost at Shorty’s when a herd of cows decided to stand in the middle of the road.

“You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!” Nicole said, honking the horn. The cows didn’t budge. Wynonna opened the window and stuck her head out.

“OKAY YOU MOTHER FUCKERS! GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY” Wynonna cocked her gun and started shooting at ground by their hooves. Some of the cows dispersed but the biggest fattest cow didn’t budge.

Wynonna sighed and got out of the car. She jumped onto its back and started slapping it.

“You fat asshole! Move bitch, my sister could be dead you fucking fat fuck!” Wynonna screamed, slapping it again. This time, the cow took off running with Wynonna on its back.

“HAUGHT!” Wynonna screamed holding onto the cow for dear life. 

Nicole bit back a laugh and got out of the car chasing after the cow and Wynonna. The cow ran right for the muddy pasture. Nicole ran faster not realizing she was running right into a huge mud puddle. She tripped on a pile of cow shit and fell into the puddle.

The cow stopped dead in its tracks right before the puddle and flung Wynonna straight into it on top of Nicole before walking away.

“Mother fucking cows!” Wynonna said, wiping mud off her face and scrambling to stand up. “DEPUTY DIPSHIT WHERE DID YOU GO?!” Wynonna yelled, not realizing Nicole was right next to her. Nicole sat up, spitting out mud from her mouth and coughing.

“I’m here Wynonna!” Nicole said angrily. 

“Oh shit, Haught pants. You got a little mud in your mouth.” Wynonna said laughing and handing Nicole her flask.

Nicole took the flask and rinsed her mouth out. She stood up slowly attempting to wipe off some of the mud. Nicole looked at Wynonna wide eyed. 

“Waverly!” They shouted at the same time and took off running for the squad car. 

They pulled up to Shorty’s and ran inside. They were surprised to see the place empty except Doc tending to Waverly’s wound and the man from earlier tied to a chair.

“Took you long enough to get here! What the hell happened to you?!” Waverly said, wincing as Doc bandaged her up.

“Mother fucking cows! Are you alright baby girl? What happened?” Wynonna asked, walking over to her.

“Whiskey Jim over here tried to shoot me for losing Bobo’s plaything. Don’t worry it’s just a graze. Doc saved me. Did you just say cows?” Waverly said, biting back a laugh. Nicole laughed.

“Wynonna pissed off the wrong cow. We ended up in a pile of mud, ain't that right Earp?” Nicole said grabbing Whiskey Jim and handcuffing him. 

“Fuck you, Haught Shot. I nearly died!” Wynonna said dramatically. 

“We’re fine, everyone's fine. For now…I gotta go book Whiskey Jim. I’ll catch up with you later.” Nicole said and winked at Waverly before walking out with Whiskey Jim in tow.

“Oh my god, Waves. Willa’s back. You apparently saved her from Whiskey Jim. It was Willa the entire time. You were young, I'm not surprised you didn't recognize her!” Wynonna said, breathing heavily.

“That was Willa?! Holy shitballs!” Waverly said, staring at Wynonna in shock. 

“Our Willa’s back baby girl, and we’ve got some evil ass to kick!” Wynonna said grinning and cocking Peacemaker. “Shit’s about to go down!”


	8. Cold as You-Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT AHEAD PLS BE PREPARED

“You never did give a damn thing, honey

But I cried, cried for you

And I know you wouldn't have told nobody if I died, died for you

Died for you

Oh, what a shame

What a rainy ending given to a perfect day

Oh, every smile you fake is so condescending

Countin' all the scars you've made

Now that I'm sittin' here thinkin' it through

I've never been anywhere cold as you”

~Taylor Swift~

The gang made their way back to the sheriff’s station. Nicole and Wynonna headed to the showers to get changed from the cow mishap while Doc and Waverly went to talk to Willa. 

“So Bobo held you captive in the basement of his mansion as punishment because our great-great grandfather was the Sheriff that threw his great-great grandfather in jail along with half of his family because they were part of a large crime syndicate.” Waverly questioned Willa.

“Yes Waverly, our family has been fighting this war since before we were born. But Wynonna and I are going to end it tonight. How many times am I going to explain it to you?! Are you dumb or something?!” Willa said, snarkily. 

Waverly looked down at her hands fighting back tears. Willa had been nothing but mean to her since they reconnected. It was nothing new, Waverly remembered how Willa tortured her growing up. 

‘So, what’s the plan?” Wynonna said, rejoining them with Nicole while towel drying her hair. 

“We haven’t started yet because  _ somebody  _ insisted on waiting for you.” Waverly said in frustration. Willa rolled her eyes.

“I think that we should go to the homestead and regroup. It’s safer there.” Willa said, standing up.

“Okay sounds good. Waverly you’re with me. Willa and Doc go with Nicole. Someone call Dolls and find out where the fuck he is?” Wynonna said, heading out to her truck. 

Nicole rolled her eyes and walked out to the squad car. She didn’t like the way Willa treated Waverly. They drove in silence and rushed inside when they made it to the homestead.

“Nicole, can you help me in the kitchen for a second” Waverly asked when they entered the house. 

“Yeah of course.” Nicole said with a small smile and walked into the kitchen.

“Can you help me change my bandage?” Waverly asked, lifting her shirt to reveal the dirty bandage. Nicole nodded and began helping her. She was about to put neosporin on it when Willa walked in.

“Putting that shit on isn’t going to help. Move out of the way and let me do it.” Willa said, rolling her eyes. Nicole sighs.

“Uh, hey. Why don’t you pop out and I’ll talk to you later…” Waverly said, sensing the tension.

“Sure, I’ll just  _ pop out _ .” Nicole said, frustratedly as she walked out of the room. Willa finished dressing Waverly’s wound. 

“You didn’t have to do that, she was just trying to help.” Waverly said with a sigh.

“Oh come on Waverly. I haven’t seen you in years and this is how you treat me.” Willa said, shaking her head. 

“You didn’t have to kick her out so rudely. If you wanted to bond you could have just said so. You should go help them plan. I need to go talk to Nicole.” Waverly said, sighing as she walked out to the barn. 

Waverly walked into the barn and sat down on the edge of the bed. Nicole was leaning up against the wall lost in thought. 

“I’m exhausted…” Waverly said, sighing. Nicole came over to her.

“Hey…” Nicole said, sitting down beside her and placing a gentle kiss on her neck. “I know baby…” She replied, placing more gentle kisses on Waverly’s neck. 

Waverly took Nicole’s face in her hands and kissed her gently, caressing her cheeks. Nicole kissed back passionately. 

Waverly tugged at the edge of Nicole’s sweater, signifying she was ready to go further. Without hesitation, Nicole flung her shirt onto the floor and worked on removing Waverly’s. 

Nicole smiled sweetly and pushed Waverly back onto the bed gently. She straddled Waverly and removed her bra. She stopped and looked at Waverly.

“Are you sure?” Nicole asked, brushing some hair out of Waverly’s face.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” Waverly said, smiling up at Nicole. Nicole returned the smile and removed the rest of their clothes. 

Waverly pulled Nicole closer and Nicole deepened their kiss running her tongue along the edge of Waverly’s lip, until she granted Nicole permission to enter. 

A small moan escaped Waverly’s lips as Nicole gently explored. Waverly loved the feeling of Nicole’s body on her own.

Nicole abandoned Waverly’s mouth and planted rough kisses down Waverly’s jawline to her neck, being careful not to leave a mark. 

Feeling brazen, Waverly flipped Nicole onto her back and straddled her. Now beneath her, Nicole looked up at Waverly in awe and breathed heavily. 

Nicole ran her hands up Waverly’s toned abs and cupped her breasts. Testing the waters, Nicole brushed her thumbs over Waverly’s already hardened nipples and gave her breasts a squeeze. Waverly bit back a moan and arched her back. 

Satisfied in Waverly’s reaction, Nicole took one of Waverly’s breasts into her mouth and sucked gently. 

“I want you so bad…” Nicole said, lustfully.

“Come and get me...” Waverly said with a smirk. 

Nicole flipped them back over so she was on top and kissed Waverly’s neck, gently trailing her hands down Waverly’s toned body. 

Waverly moaned softly, wanting more, needing more. Nicole’s fingers teased her entrance and Waverly was getting frustrated. 

“Nicole…” Waverly groaned. Nicole smirked and slid her finger inside, feeling the warmth and wetness of Waverly’s center, bringing her lips back to Waverly’s.

Waverly bucked her hips to meet Nicole's rhythm as Nicole slid in another finger, gently rubbing her thumb against Waverly’s clit. 

Waverly moaned loudly as Nicole replaced her thumb with her mouth. 

“Fuc-udging hell!” Waverly exclaimed, grabbing a handful of Nicole’s hair. 

Nicole felt Waverly’s walls tightening as Waverly reached her climax. Nicole helped her ride out her orgasm before removing her hand and giving her fingers a seductive lick. Waverly caught her breath and pulled Nicole in for a passionate kiss. 

“My turn…” Waverly said, smiling and straddling Nicole.

Waverly placed gentle kisses on both of Nicole’s breasts before taking in one of them and sucking gently. Nicole tilted her head back and moaned quietly.

Waverly laid a trail of gentle kissed down Nicole’s stomach and flicked her tongue over Nicole’s clit. Nicole moaned louder as Waverly slipped two fingers into Nicole’s warm center. 

Waverly pumped slowly, making Nicole wait for it. 

“Faster, Waves…” Nicole growled and bit her lip to be quiet. 

“What do you say?” Waverly said, smirking and pulling her fingers out.

“Oh shit, Waves, please!” Nicole begged.

Waverly slid her fingers in quickly and eagerly sucked Nicole’s clit. Nicole gripped the blanket and pumped her hips to meet Waverly’s thrusts.

Nicole shook as her orgasm hit and she moaned Waverly’s name. Waverly removed her fingers slowly when Nicole finally relaxed. 

Waverly sat back on her heels and looked lovingly at her girlfriend. Nicole sat up and pulled Waverly in for a kiss. 

“Damn, Waves.” Nicole said, when she finally caught her breath. She grabbed her underwear and her bra and threw them back on.

“Was it good?” Waverly asked nervously. 

“Good?! Waves, it was fucking excellent!” Nicole said, throwing Waverly’s clothes back at her. 

Waverly grinned and put her clothes back on, feeling chilly in the barn air. Nicole grinned and put her pants back on. 

“You, are amazing Waverly Earp” Nicole said, pulling her back in for another kiss. Waverly happily kissed back until Nicole pulled away sharply. 

“Shit!” Nicole said, scrambling to get her shirt as Willa stood in the doorway. 

“Oh my god…” Waverly whispered, pulling away from Nicole.

“Wow. Wynonna never said anything about you being...a gay” Willa said, awkwardly. “Oh Geez, you haven’t told her…”

“I have to go. Call me later with the plan” Nicole said, throwing her shirt on and walking out of the barn. 

“Wynonna would be pretty pissed if she knew you were keeping something like this from her?” Willa said, crossing her arms.

“You wouldn’t dare...What’s your problem with me anyway?! What the hell did I ever do to you?! You’ve been nothing but horrible to me our entire lives, what gives?!” Waverly said, her voice cracking. 

“Daddy always said there was something wrong with you. But now I know what it is.” Willa said in disgust. 

“You always listened to what Daddy said. You were his little angel. How come he never beat you? Huh? Why was it always me and Wynonna? What makes you so special?” Waverly spat, tears threatening to spill. 

“You want to know why Daddy hated you? It’s because you’re not his daughter! Mama was a slut!” Willa said with a cool laugh. 

“W-What?!” Waverly stammered, tears freely falling now. 

“You heard me. You’re not an Earp. We better get back inside, we have to get ready for the party.” Willa said, walking out with a smirk on her face. 

Waverly felt like she couldn’t breathe. Everything she had previously thought about her life was untrue. She choked back sobs but it was no use. She really wished Nicole could be there with her right now. Waverly sat and sobbed for a while before heading back towards the house. 


	9. Tied Together With a Smile

“Hold on

Baby you're losing it

The water's high

You're jumping into it

And letting go

And no one knows

That you cry

But you don't tell anyone

That you might

Not be the golden one

And you're tied together with a smile

But you're coming undone”

~Taylor Swift~

After gathering herself, Waverly rejoined the group in the kitchen. Wynonna gave her a confused look, as she could tell something was bothering her younger sister. Waverly gave her a small reassuring smile and took a seat at the table.

“So, what’s the plan?” Waverly asked, looking at them.

“You, Willa and Dolls are going to go in first, scope out the room and check for anything suspicious. I’ll follow you in once I find where Doc went. We don’t know what he’s planning but maybe we can figure it out before he executes it.” Wynonna said, taking a swig from her flask. 

“What about Nicole?” Waverly asked. 

“Keep her out of this. The less people know the better.” Willa said, rolling her eyes.

“Willa, she already has helped us immensely. She’s a part of this too.” Waverly said pointedly. 

“Fine, tell her to meet you guys at the old hotel. Tell her to wear something fancy!” Wynonna said giving in.

“I will. We better get a move on it. See ya in a bit.” Waverly said, heading upstairs to get ready. 

Waverly gave Nicole a call and updated her on the situation before quickly getting ready for the party.

Once everyone was on their way to the gig, Wynonna went out to the barn and looked up at the rafters. Earlier that morning, she remembered Ward asking her to hide an envelope up in the rafters.

She hadn’t thought about it for years, but she knew it was important now. She grabbed the letter and opened it. She quickly stuffed it into her jacket pocket and quickly got changed. 

Nicole walked into the hotel and looked around cautiously. It seemed like a normal party but she knew something evil was a foot. She waved at Nedley and gave him a warm smile. 

Just as she was about to grab a glass of champagne, she stopped in her tracks. She grinned as Waverly made her way down the stairs and over towards her.

“You are a vision!” Nicole said, with a smile.

“Oh please, I didn’t even have time to accessorize.” Waverly said, biting her lip. 

“I knew I wore this bracelet for a reason.” She said, putting the bracelet on Waverly’s wrist. 

“Thanks.” Waverly said grinning. “After all this bullshit is over, we’re getting dressed up more often.” 

“As you wish, my love” Nicole said, surveying the room. She sighed when she noticed Willa motioning for Waverly to come over. “Willa’s looking for you.” 

“I’ll be right back, I promise. Be careful okay?” Waverly said, kissing her cheek.

“I promise. I’ll keep a look out for Bobo and his guys” Nicole said with a small smile. Waverly nodded and followed Willa up the stairs.

Nicole looked around and frowned when she noticed Champ making his way over to her.

“Not now Champ..” Nicole said as he came uncomfortably close to her.

“I saw all of that. So like, you two together or something? Cuz like, that’s disgusting. DISgusting” Champ slurred, very obviously drunk.

“Fuck you, I don’t have time to deal with your drunk ass right now. Talk to me again, and I’ll cuff you so fast you won’t even be able to say redheads do it better” Nicole said, shoving past him and going over to talk to Dolls.

Meanwhile, Wynonna struggled to climb in through the upstairs window. When she finally made it in, she brushed herself off and looked at Willa and Waverly. 

“So, what’s the sitch?” Wynonna asked, catching her breath. 

“Seems like a normal party. The whole towns here. Nothing suspicious yet. No guards, no security.” Waverly said.

“So you’re telling me, I climbed through the fucking window for nothing?!” Wynonna groaned.

“Looks like it…” Waverly tried not to laugh. “What took you so long anyway?” 

“I remembered something Daddy asked me to hide for him. It’s a letter. Apparently, we have a metric fuck ton of money hidden somwhere in Purgatory and Bobo and his shit heads are after it. Here’s the kicker, they need a key and no one knows where it is.” Wynonna said proud of herself for figuring it out first.

“Holy shit. What do you think he’s planning tonight?” Waverly said, reading the letter.

“It doesn’t matter, we’re ready for anything. Let’s go downstairs.” Willa said, shutting down the conversation and glaring at Wynonna’s necklace. 

The three Earp sisters made their way downstairs and people stared as they walked down the stairs.

They immediately walked over to Dolls and handed him the letter. The group conversed for a while about their plan of action, when thought popped into Waverly’s head. 

She remembered Willa and Wynonna fighting over a necklace when they were kids. It was Willa’s but Wynonna had wanted it.

“Willa has the key!” Waverly blurted out suddenly.

“What are you talking about?” Willa asked, confused. 

“Remember the necklace you and Nonna used to fight over when we were kids? That’s the key! No one would assume a child’s necklace was the key! It was a perfect hiding place!” Waverly said looking at them.

“Waverly, if you’re right, we’re screwed. I haven’t seen that necklace since Daddy took it and hid it somewhere at the homestead.” Willa replied.

“You mean this necklace?” Wynonna said, pulling her necklace out of her dress.

Willa was about to say something when Champ started picking a fight with Nicole.

“Y’know, it was fucking rude for you to swoop right in and steal my girl!” Champ yelled.

“Lower your voice, Champ. Waverly doesn’t belong to anyone!” Nicole said angrily. 

Champ downed another glass of champagne and tried to punch Nicole. Nedley stepped in to stop him.

“Come on, son. Let’s get you out of here.” He said, shaking his head.

“No!” Champ said, beginning to foam at the mouth and lunging at Waverly. 

Nicole grabbed him and turned him around. Champ tried to strangle her but Nicole clocked him and he hit the ground hard. Nicole went into her purse and handcuffed him.

Waverly watched in awe as it all went down. Just as the chaos began, Bobo waltzed into the ballroom.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The moment has arrived. I have good news and bad news. The bad news is, the champagne has been poisoned! The good news is there’s an antidote! You can get it as soon as you hand over Wynonna Earp!” Bobo said, laughing maniacally. 

The angry crowd starts closing in on Wynonna and the gang. Wynonna shouted at Waverly to take Willa and run. Before she ran off, Waverly gave Wynonna a tight hug. 

She turned around and grabbed Willa’s hand. Waverly stopped by Nicole before they left.

“Nicole, come with us! We have to go.” Waverly said frantically.

“Waves, I have to stay here and keep the crowd at bay. You didn’t drink the champagne did you?” Nicole asked, squeezing her hand. 

“No. You?” Waverly asked. Nicole shook her head. “Be safe okay?” 

“I will. You too.” Nicole said, kissing her passionately. Waverly turned around and noticed that Willa was gone.

Waverly ran outside to find Willa. She looked around frantically, then someone came up behind her and smacked her on the head with a plank of wood. 

Wynonna managed to make her way back to the homestead. She ran upstairs and changed into something more comfortable.

She heard someone creeping up behind her. She drew Peacemaker and turned around to see Willa. 

“Jesus christ, Wils. I should give you a goddamn bell or something. Where’s Waverly?” Wynonna asked, breathing heavily.

“I thought she was with you? Give me the necklace. It’s not safe for you to have it.” Willa said, sticking her hand out.

“What do you mean she’s supposed to be with me? I saw her run away with you. We have to go get Waverly.” Wynonna said, as she reached up to her neck and realized the necklace was gone.

“The necklace is gone!” Wynonna said wide eyed. “I had it on at the party, it’s gone now.”

“You lost the necklace! Wynonna! That’s important! How the fuck did you lose the necklace!” Willa said angrily.

“I dunno it must have fallen off somewhere. That’s not important right now, we have to find Waverly. She isn’t safe!” Wynonna said pointedly.

“Fine” Willa rolled her eyes and sighed. 

Meanwhile, Waverly sat tied up on the floor of Nedley’s office. She had managed to knock Chrissy out with a kick to the temple. 

She used her heel to hit her emergency contact button on her phone. When Wynonna finally answered, all Waverly could do was scream muffled. 

“Baby girl! Where are you?” Wynonna asked, frantically.

Waverly licked the tape until it wasn’t sticky anymore. “Sheriff’s station! Hurry!”

Willa and Wynonna drove to the sheriff’s station as quickly as the truck would let her. They raced inside and found Waverly struggling to get out of the duct tape prison Chrissy made for her.

Wynonna went over to check that Chrissy was still breathing as Willa helped Waverly get undone. 

“You came!” Waverly said as Willa helped her up.

“Of course, I did. Now we have to get back to the party.” Willa said, helping brush off the dirt.

“What? Why?” Waverly asked, looking at her confused.

“We have to find Wynonna’s necklace. Her dumb ass lost it somwhere.” Willa said, angrily. 

Waverly held her clutch closer to her body. Willa noticed and quickly stole it out of her hands.

“You took it from me! You little bitch!” Willa yelled as Waverly took the clutch back.

“Wynonna, catch!” Waverly said, throwing it towards Wynonna. She catches it and opens the clutch to find her necklace inside.

“You sneaky fox! You must have grabbed it when you hugged me goodbye!” Wynonna said proudly. 

“Yep, sure did. Can we talk about that another time please? There’s an angry town full of angry people who want us dead!” Waverly said, moving out of Nedley’s office. 

Willa lunges at Wynonna and tackles her to the ground. Wynonna tosses the clutch back to Waverly before showing off the BBD self defence Dolls had been training her in.

“What the fuck, Willa!” Wynonna yelled, holding her in a choke hold. 

“It’s the only way to end this all! All this ever did was hurt people! It's time for it to end!” Willa said, breaking away and stealing Peacemaker from Wynonna’s grip. 

Wynonna sprinted out of the office to protect Waverly. Willa pointed the gun at them both, her hands shaking.

“All I ever wanted was to be loved. Bobo loves me. The boys love me. Hand over the necklace, now!” Willa said angrily.

“Bobo Del Shit and his gang of asshats don’t love you! They’re using you to get what they need and they’ll drop you like a sack of fucking potatos! We’re your family! We love you! Give me the gun back Willa.” Wynonna pleaded.

Waverly’s phone went off again as Nicole walked in. “I knew I recognized that ringtone.” Willa pointed the gun at Nicole. “Whoa, calm down.” She said, raising her hands.

“Give me the damn necklace or I shoot the fuck out of Waverly’s girlfriend!” Willa said, smirking.

“Crazy bitch who loves a mob boss say what now? Girlfriend?” Wynonna asked, looking at Waverly. 

“Yes, girlfriend. I meant to tell you but, y’know we’ve been kinda busy dealing with her bullshit.” Waverly said, nervously

“Damn straight! Well, more like damn gay amiright?” Nicole said, proudly smiling at Waverly. Waverly smiled back at her lovingly.

“Cut the crap. Hand me the necklace! One..” Willa said, pointing the gun back to Nicole.

“Wynonna! She’ll do it!” Waverly said, anxiously. 

“It’s the only thing keeping Bobo from winning, I can’t baby girl...:” Wynonna said, looking at Waverly sadly. 

“Wynonna, please!” Waverly pleaded. Wynonna shook her head. 

“Two…” Willa said.

“Please, Wynonna! I love her!” Waverly gasped.

“One..” Willa said, cocking the gun.

“Okay, okay! You can have the key!” Wynonna said quickly, handing necklace to Willa. 

“So dumb. Didn’t anyone raise you better than this?” Willa said, firing the gun at Nicole. 

Wynonna didn’t hesitate to jump in front of the bullet. Nicole quickly drew her gun but before she could fire someone else fired from behind Willa. Willa’s limp body fell to the floor and there stood Dolls with a shotgun. 

“Wynonna!” Waverly exclaimed, rushing over to her sister who was groaning in pain. 

“Earp, you dumb ass! I have on a bullet proof vest! What the hell were you thinking!” Nicole said, bending down to put pressure on Wynonna’s chest where the bullet wound was.

“I-I wasn’t about to let my dickhead of a sister get away with shooting my best friend…or my baby sister’s girlfriend” Wynonna said, coughing up blood.

“Shut your face, Earp. Dolls call an ambulance! Doc grab me anything absorbent!” Nicole said, shaking her head. “Only you would be idiotic enough to do this.” 

“Wynonna, so help me. I will kill you if you die on me!” Waverly said, grabbing Wynonna’s hand and squeezing it tight. 

Doc ran over and handed Nicole everything he found and grabbed Wynonna’s other hand. 

“Don’t you worry, Wynonna. I reckon you’ll be fixin’ to them assholes again in no time.” Doc said, giving her hand a squeeze. 

Wynonna opened her mouth to say something in return, but the words never came. The last thing she saw was a super hot paramedic put an oxygen mask over her face before everything went black.


	10. Everything Has Changed

“'Cause all I know is we said hello

And your eyes look like coming home

All I know is a simple name

And everything has changed

All I know is you held the door

You'll be mine and I’ll be yours

All I know since yesterday

Is everything has changed

All I know is we said hello

So dust off your highest hopes

All I know is pouring rain

And everything has changed

All I know is a new found grace

All my days I’ll know your face

All I know since yesterday

Is everything has changed”

~Taylor Swift~

Waverly paced around the waiting room of the hospital. It had been about an hour since they’d arrived and still there was no news on Wynonna’s condition. Nicole sighed and grabbed Waverly’s shoulders to stop her.

“Waves, I know you’re worried but pacing isn’t going to make anything happen faster. They'll update us when they know. Come sit, have some water.” Nicole said, soothingly. 

Waverly melted into her girlfriend's arms and cried. Nicole held her close and refused to let go. She walked over and sat down with Waverly in her lap. Eventually, Waverly fell asleep

Nicole sighed and stroked Waverly’s hair absentmindedly as they waited. and Dolls were still currently at BBD dealing with Willa.

Finally, a doctor walked out and looked around. “Family here for Wynonna Earp?” the doctor said, looking down at her clipboard. 

Nicole gently shook Waverly to wake her up. ‘Waves, baby, the doctors here.” Waverly sat up quickly and walked over to the doctor.

“How is she? What took you so long?!” Waverly asked, anxiously.

“Well, Wynonna lost a lot of blood but the bullet missed every crucial chest element and made a clear exit wound. We patched her up and she’s expected to make a full recovery. She’s being moved into recovery now. You should be able to go see her.” The doctor said with a smile.

Waverly sighed in relief, fighting the urge to burst into tears she threw her arms around Nicole and hugged her tight. 

Nicole held her close for a minute before they walked up to Wynonna’s room. Nicole sent out a text to Doc, Nedley and Dolls before settling down in a chair next to Wynonna’s bed. 

Waverly sat down on Nicole’s lap and sighed. “She looks so pale and small. It’s weird not to hear her loud ass mouth” Nicole said chuckling slightly.

“I know. I hate hospitals. Nothing good ever happens in them. Well, except babies being born..” Waverly replied with a shrug. “I need to pee, I’ll be back. Text me if she wakes up.” She said, walking out of the room

Nicole stood up and grabbed Wynonna’s hand and gave it a squeeze. She began to stir.

“Nonna! It’s Nicole. Are you okay?” Nicole asked, smiling wide.

Wynonna opened her eyes slowly and looked around confused before closing her eyes again. 

“Who are you and why are you in my bedroom?” Wynonna said, opening her eyes and giving Nicole a confused look. 

Nicole looked at Wynonna in shock and then down at the floor. Nicole’s heart sank for Waverly, but for herself as well.

“I-It’s me, your friend. Your best friend. Your sister Waverly’s girlfriend….” Nicole said, biting her lip. Wynonna burst out laughing but stopped quickly as pain seared across her chest. 

“Oh my god, Haught. You should have just seen your face! Of course I remember you idiot. I got shot, I didn’t hit my head.” Wynonna said, trying not to laugh too hard. 

“God damn it, Wynonna! That was really mean and I’d hit you if you hadn’t just been shot!” Nicole frowned and crossed her arms. Waverly walked in and grinned when she saw Wynonna awake and laughing.

“Nonna! You’re awake!” Waverly exclaimed. “And laughing! What happened and why does Nicole look like she wants to murder you?” 

“I pretended I didn’t know who she was when I first woke up. You should have seen her face!” Wynonna said laughing and holding her chest. 

“Wynonna! That is so mean! My poor baby.” Waverly said, hugging Nicole and giving her a kiss. 

“Ew, gross. Get a room.” Wynonna said, shielding her eyes.

Nicole smirked and kissed Waverly again. Wynonna fake gagged and made a face.

“Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it Earp?” Nicole said laughing.

“I guess I kinda deserved that.” Wynonna said, inhaling sharply as the pain started getting worse. “Can one of you get the nurse for more pain meds please? I can’t reach the button” 

Nicole nodded and pushed the button. “You’re an idiot, Earp. But you’re our idiot. I can’t believe you took a bullet for me. I had a bulletproof vest!”

“I didn’t know that! And I wasn’t about to let you die and leave my baby girl sad and lonely. I've never seen her this happy before.” Wynonna said, smiling slightly.

“Who knew it? Wynonna does have a heart. She’s a big old softie.” Nicole said laughing.

“Haught, you tell anyone about this and I’ll murder myself. Sorry baby girl.” Wynonna said, shaking her head.

Waverly and Nicole laugh and joked until the nurse comes in and gives Wynonna pain meds. The meds end up making her loopy and Nicole takes total advantage. Waverly eventually starts falling asleep in the chair.

“Haught stuff, I swear if you ever hurt my sister I will obliterate you.” Wynonna slurs, closing her eyes sleepily. 

“Don’t worry, if I ever hurt her, I’d obliterate myself.” Nicole responds with a chuckle.

“‘M surprised the both of you know what that means.” Waverly mumbles as she falls asleep.

“Night, Wyn. Wake me if you need anything.” Nicole said, yawning. 

“I will Haught stuff, I will,” Wynonna said, drifting off to sleep. 

The next morning Wynonna was discharged and Nicole helped Waverly get her home. Wynonna was pissed that she had to be on bedrest until her shoulder healed and she couldn’t drink alcohol on her pain meds and therefore was in a bad mood.

“Cheer up Wyn, at least you don’t have to work and still get paid!” Waverly tried to help make her feel better. 

“Yeah I guess but Bobo is still out there and so are his guys. What if he tries to hurt you guys and I can’t help!” Wynonna said in frustration.

“We’ve got Nicole, Doc and Dolls to protect us. Don’t worry Wyn, we’ll be okay. We just need you to get better.” Waverly said, sitting down next to her on the couch.

“This sucks major dick.” Wynonna huffed and crossed her arms. 

“We could catch up on Deadliest Catch…?” Waverly said, grinning, knowing how much Wynonna loved that show. 

“You two have fun with that, I’ve got to follow up with a couple of things with Nedley. I’ll come back later, with takeout?” Nicole, proposed.

“That sounds amazing, seeya later baby!” Waverly replied, giving Nicole a kiss. Wynonna fake gagged and rolled her eyes as Nicole left.

The weeks flew by and soon enough Wynonna was back to normal. The team had begun planning how to gather the remaining mob members and find where the money was hidden. 

Frankly, Waverly was over this whole thing. She wanted to hang out with her best baby and not have a worry in the world. The universe had other plans. 

Wynonna and Nicole on the other hand, couldn’t get enough of it. It was practically all they talked about. The money, according to their family lawyer, belonged to the Earp Heir and Wynonna was simply giddy with excitement.

There was enough money for it to be split 3 ways and Wynonna had already decided it would go to Waverly and Nicole. Though she didn't tell either of them that. She liked to bust their metaphorical balls and say she’s giving it all to Nedley or simply keeping it all for herself. 

Nicole was engrossed in a pile of maps with Waverly when Dolls and Doc walked into the office. 

“Have either of you seen Wynonna?” Dolls asked, setting down a box of coffee and donuts, as it was going to be a long night. 

“She was around a minute ago, I figured she was with Doc somewhere” Nicole smirked as she looked up from the map.

“As true as that might normally be, I have not seen nor heard from Wynonna all day.” Doc said, giving her his signature grin.

“Huh...now that I think about it. I haven’t seen her for a few hours.” Waverly said, looking at her watch. “Have you tried calling her?”

“Yeah, it went straight to voicemail. I’ll try again.” Dolls said, pulling out his phone and calling her. 

Just as he hit send, Wynonna walked into the room. She looked like she had just seen a ghost. 

“Woah there...you look like shit.” Dolls said, grabbing her arm to try and stop her.

“Well fuck, good evening to you too.” Wynonna said, rolling her eyes and flopping onto the chair. 

“Wyn, Dolls is right. You look pale. Are you alright?” Waverly asked, looking up from the map and giving her sister a ‘I know you too well’ look.

“I’m fine Waves, we’ve got work to do…” Wynonna said as they began laying out the plan.

Around 4 am, the plan was complete. Waverly had gathered a ton of important information on the dealings of Bobo and his friends. 

The plan began with Dolls, Nicole and Wynonna capturing and jailing the remaining members of the Revenants. 

It took them a few weeks, but eventually they managed to get them all. Bobo mentioned something to Nicole about Waverly not being an Earp, as she shoved him into her squad car and headed for the station. 

After booking him and shoving him into a cell, she walked back out to her desk and sat down. She had piles and piles of paperwork she needed to do and wanted nothing more than to curl up with Waverly on the couch and watch a movie. 

An hour into her paperwork session, Nicole sighed and looked at her watch. It was around dinner time and she really should have stopped to eat, but Nicole decided to just continue her paperwork. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when a very bubbly Waverly skipped into the office, carrying a bag of food from Shorty’s. Nicole sighed happily and put her paper down.

“Waverly Earp, you absolute angel of a human! I have never been happier to see you.” Nicole said, standing up and going over to give her a kiss. 

“You’re just happy to see that I have food.” Waverly joked, setting the bag down on the table.

“I mean the food is a plus, but seeing you is what made me the happiest.” She said, pulling up a chair for Waverly to sit in. They sat down and started eating. 

“You look so cute when you focus, baby” Waverly said grinning.

“Really? I think I look dumb. All this paperwork sucks.” Nicole said with a sigh.

“Is there any way I can help?” Waverly asked, squeezing Nicole’s hand.

“Actually, if you want to organize the done pile and file it as I go that would be really helpful.” Nicole said, smiling. “That way I can get out of here sooner and get some desert.” Nicole said with a wink. Waverly blushes.

“Then I will absolutely help you. Well, after we finish eating that is.” Waverly said, laughing.

“Oh I plan to eat all night.” Nicole says with a smirk. Waverly turns a deep shade of red and Nedley clears his throat.

“Hi, Sheriff Nedley…” Waverly said, smiling nervously.

“Uh, Hello sir.” Nicole said blushing. 

“Waverly, Nicole” He said, tipping his hat. “How’s the paperwork comin?” 

“Nearly done sir, just taking a break for dinner.” Nicole said, fiddling with her tie. 

“Alright then, don’t stay too late. And don’t get too distracted…” Nedley said, with a small smile. “See you tomorrow then.

“Night sir.” Nicole said and Waverly waved as Nedley grabbed his coat and left.

As soon as he was gone Waverly burst into a fit of giggles and Nicole rolled her eyes.

“You could have told me he was in the room, Waves!” Nicole said, laughing.

“I didn’t notice, baby! I’m so sorry.” Waverly said, throwing their trash away and recycling what she could. 

The pair finished up the paperwork around 9pm and made their way back to the Homestead.

They were shocked to see Wynonna's truck in the driveway, as she was supposed to be working on the money project with Dolls and Doc. 

They approached the house cautiously, as to not accidentally see something they couldn’t unsee and found it to be quiet. 

“Wyn?” Waverly called out.

“L-Living room, Waves!” Wynonna called out nervously. Waverly looked at Nicole concerned as it sounded like Wynonna had been crying. 

The couple made their way into the living room and saw Wynonna wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire. 

“Wyn, what’s wrong?” Waverly said, sitting down on one side of her as Nicole sat down on the other side. 

“W-we found where the money is hidden but, it’s in a really hard spot to get to. We don’t know how we’re gonna get to it. Someone probably needs to climb to get it. It’s in a cave and the only way to get to it is to rock climb...” Wynonna said, wiping her running nose with her sweatshirt sleeve.

“Wynonna, I rock climbed for a whole year. I’m sure I can help get it there's no need to be so upset about it.” Nicole said, giving her arm a gentle rub.

“T-That’s not why I’m upset…” Wynonna said, wiping her eyes. 

“Then why are you crying?” Waverly replied and looked at her concerned. She wiped a few of her tears away.

Wynonna pulled out a plastic bag with something in it out from under the blanket. Waverly doesn’t even need to look at long to realize it’s a positive pregnancy test. 

She looked up at Nicole wide eyed and then down at Wynonna before pulling her into a tight hug and sighing. This was going to throw a whole new element into the mix. And no one was even ready for it. 


	11. It's Nice to Have a Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH

“'Light pink sky up on the roof

Sun sinks down, no curfew

Twenty questions, we tell the truth

You've been stressed out lately? Yeah, me too

Something gave you the nerve

To touch my hand

It's nice to have a friend

(Ooh)

It's nice to have a friend

(Ooh)”

~Taylor Swift~

Breakfast was extremely quiet the next morning. Wynonna picked at her food absentmindedly and Wayhaught shared a concerned look. 

“So…” Waverly said, clearing her throat. 

“So...pff, we got a big day ahead of us…” Wynonna said, eating a piece of bacon.

“Wynonna...you’re pregnant!” Waverly said, biting her lip.

“Ugh, do you have to use that word.” Wynonna replied, cringing.

“The giant plus sign says yes!” Waverly, pushed. Wynonna cringed again.

“And besides, we should talk about how this is going to work going further.” Nicole added, with a sad smile.

“Well, I’m really not ready to get into all the juicy details…” Wynonna said, fiddling with a piece of bacon.

“Noted…but Wynonna, you’re going to have to deal with this sooner rather than later. You might as well start now, by talking to Doc. He’s a big part of all this” Waverly said, giving her a look and motioning to her stomach. 

“Well, tough shit. It’s my decision when or how I tell people so stop pushing me! And while you're at it, stop judging me. I’m going to meet up with Dolls and discuss this afternoon.” Wynonna said, walking out of the homestead in frustration.

Waverly sighed and cleaned up from breakfast quietly. Nicole watched as her girlfriend's stress cleaned the kitchen. 

After a few minutes, Nicole stood up and grabbed Waverly’s hand gently, taking the rag out her hand.

“Baby...it’s going to be okay. Come, let’s sit on the couch for a bit.” Nicole said softly, as she pulled Waverly over to the couch and sat down. Waverly curled up against Nicole and sighed. 

“I was only trying to help…” Waverly said, sighing and resting her head on Nicole’s shoulder. 

“I know baby, she’s just stressed. We all are. You meant well, but she also had a point. She’ll tell Doc and everyone else when she’s ready to. Until then, all we can do is support her and be there for her.” Nicole said, placing a gentle kiss on Waverly’s cheek.

Waverly cuddled into Nicole and nodded. “You always know the right things to say to calm me down.” 

Nicole smiled and held Waverly close to her. They sat in happy silence for a while before either of them spoke again.

“You never did tell me what happened with Champ?” Nicole asked with a slight smirk. Waverly rolled her eyes. 

“I finally had enough of his fudgin attitude and him sleeping around with god knows who. And I realized that the one person I’ve been looking for was right in front of me the entire time. I almost got in my jeep and drove to the big city to surprise you but I kinda got taken hostage by murderous mob shit tickets before I could do anything.” Waverly said smiling up at Nicole.

“And to think that I thought you hated me for leaving you. Yet here we are. Cuddled on the couch months later. I never want to leave again. I’m completely content where we are right now.” Nicole said, grinning. 

“I’m so glad you came back when you did. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Waverly said, giving her a quick kiss.

“Don’t worry baby, I’m not going anywhere. Like I said, where you go, I go.” Nicole replied, kissing her back. 

The happy couple sat and cuddled for a few hours before getting ready and heading to the Sheriff's station to pick up the rest of the squad to start their trek into the woods.

“Are you sure that this is the best way to go about doing this?” Waverly said, as they walked through the woods. 

“I’m positive. Doc and I surveyed the area and this is the only way to get a good vantage point.” Dolls said, rolling his eyes. 

“Waves, don’t worry we wouldn’t do this unless it was absolutely necessary. Keep your eyes peeled and weapons ready.” Wynonna said, walking with a purpose. 

The team stopped to take a break halfway to the clearing because Wynonna had to pee for the billionth time that day. They tried to make Wynonna stay at the Sheriff's station, but no one could stop her. 

They kept walking for a bit when suddenly Waverly accidentally stepped onto a leaf covered whole and fell to the ground. 

“Waverly!” Nicole and Wynonna called out simultaneously as they ran over to her to see if she was alright. Waverly cried out in pain when she tried to move her ankle.

“Oh no, that’s definitely sprained, baby.” Nicole said grabbing her first aid kit and starting to splint it. Wynonna grabbed Waverly’s hand and held it tight. 

“Holy shit balls that hurts!” Waverly cried out, squeezing Wynonna’s hand. She visibly relaxed when Nicole finished wrapping it.

“Don’t worry about walking, I’ll piggy back you the rest of the way.” Doc said, shaking his head.

“You better not drop me! I’d rather Nicole do it…” Waverly said under her breath.

“Baby, I want nothing more than to do that, but I’m carrying all the climbing gear. Doc won’t drop you because if he does, I’ll arrest him.” Nicole said, smirking. 

“Waves, you’ll be fine. We better get going or we’ll be stuck out here all night.” Wynonna said, beginning to walk again.

Doc carried Waverly the rest of the way without further incidents. When they reached the clearing the view was absolutely breathtaking. 

“Wow this is insanely gorgeous!” Nicole exclaimed, setting her gear down and beginning to set it up. 

“Waves, how’s your ankle?” Wynonna said, sitting down on a fallen tree trunk.

“Not great, but I’ll be fine. How are you doing? Do you need anything?” Waverly rambled nervously.

“Waves, deep breath. I’m-we’re fine.” Wynonna said, scrunching her nose.

Nicole finished setting up and put her harness on. She smiled at Wynonna and Doc who came over to her to see what she was doing. 

“I should be the one doing this. Getting the money.” Wynonna said with a sigh.

“Or me,” Doc said, fiddling with the rope.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did one of you have a rope and harness in their car for possible weekend excursions? I have nine years of climbing experience. You are pregnant and  _ you _ can’t even look over the edge.” Nicole said with a slight smirk. 

“Uh well heights, they uh, give me the wheezies.” Doc said, shuddering.

“I’ll be down in back before you two can even say Redheads do it better” Nicole said, flinging the rope over the edge and easing her way down. 

Wynonna looked down at what Nicole was doing as Doc closed his eyes and backed away. 

Dolls sat with Waverly helping her get comfy with her foot. Suddenly, the rope started swinging violently.

“Hey guys! Something’s happening with the rope!” Nicole yelled from below.

Wynonna and Doc turned around to see one of Bobo’s henchmen cutting the rope with a saw. Panicking, Wynonna grabbed the rope and tried to hold it from dropping over the edge.

“HANG ON, HAUGHT!” Wynonna yelled, struggling to get good footing.

Doc and the man tussle for a bit before Doc misjudges a punch and ends up knocked out on the ground. 

Dolls runs over to the guy and throws him against a tree. Meanwhile, Wynonna began to lose grip of the rope.

“Wynonna! YOU GOTTA LET GO! I’M ALMOST AT THE ENTRANCE” Nicole yelled, swinging herself closer to the edge.

“NOT HAPPENING!” Wynonna yelled, gripping the rope tighter. Nicole took a leap of faith and unhooked her harness and jumped into the cave opening.

She landed with a thud and rolled a few feet before sitting up and inspecting herself for any injuries. She stood up and cheered.

“GUYS I MADE IT IN! I GOT THE BOX!” Nicole said, picking it up and carrying it closer to the ledge. 

Waverly limped over to Wynonna and looked over the edge down to where Nicole was and gasped.

“Nicole Rayleigh Haught! If you die so help me, I will be very angry and I don’t know what I’ll do when I’m that angry!” Waverly exclaimed, as Wynonna tried to swing the rope closer to where Nicole was.

Nicole finally grabbed the rope and hooked herself back up. She grabbed the box and yelled up to the Earp girls to pull her up. 

The Earp sisters pulled as hard as they could and eventually Nicole and the money were back on solid ground. 

Nicole dropped the box at Wynonna’s feet and threw her arms around Waverly. Waverly stepped onto her tippy toes in order to kiss Nicole passionately. 

Wynonna ran over to the bad guy who had started running away and pulled out her gun.

“Fuck you and your shitty family. No one fucks with my family while I’m around. Have fun in hell!” Wynonna spits as she shoots him. 

“WYNONNA!” Doc yells. Wynonna turns around and sees Nicole kneeling down next to Dolls’ body. Wynonna runs over.

“What the hell happened?!” Wynonna asked, looking down at them. 

“He collapsed. He’s not breathing.” Doc said, pacing. “Dolls wake up you asshole!”

“Waverly, why isn’t he waking up?” Wynonna asked, her voice breaking. 

“He’s gone, Nonna.” Waverly said, tears falling down her face.

A half an hour went by before anyone moved or said anything. Nicole and Doc decided to bring the box back to the station and call in a medevac to grab the Earp sisters and Dolls’ body.

Waverly sighed and looked at her sister.

“Nedley and the medevac should be here soon.” Waverly said, solemnly.

“I’m not leaving him..” Wynonna said, not taking her eyes off of his body.

“Wynonna...it’s freezing. You’re pregnant. C’mon, let’s go back…” Waverly said, kneeling down and wrapping her arms around her sister. 

“He hates the woods, I’m not leaving him here alone, Waverly!” Wynonna said, sniffling. 

“Okay...then I’m staying right here.” Waverly said, resting her head on Wynonna’s shoulder.

“We were gonna die and he saved us. How is this fair?! How is he lying here?!” Wynonna yells, sobbing into Waverly’s shoulder.

“He’s at peace now, Wynonna…” Waverly said, hugging her sister tight. 

The Earp sisters held each other close as the medevac approached in the distance. This was a huge blow to the team and would forever affect what they did next.


	12. Daylight

“I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you

I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you

I've been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night

And now I see daylight, I only see daylight

Luck of the draw only draws the unlucky

And so I became the butt of the joke

I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked

Clearing the air, I breathed in the smoke

Maybe you ran with the wolves and refused to settle down

Maybe I've stormed out of every single room in this town

Threw out our cloaks and our daggers because it's morning now

It's brighter now, now”

~Taylor Swift~

The funeral was small and intimate. Everyone was pretty shaken up about what had happened, but Wynonna took it the hardest. 

The first few days were the worst, but after that Wynonna’s demeanor flipped a 180 as if nothing horrible had even happened. 

If you hadn’t known that Wynonna just lost one of the people closest to her, you would never have guessed that deep down she was broken.

Waverly was worried. She knew that Wynonna was at her breaking point and it was only a matter of time before the explosion. 

So, in the truest of Waverly fashions, she enlisted Nicole’s help in the matter. Nicole hadn’t a clue on how to get Wynonna to open up, but there was no way in hell Nicole could say no to Waverly’s puppy dog eyes.

And deep down she knew her best friend needed her and she couldn’t give up on her friend. Not now, not ever.

Nicole walked into Wynonna’s room and picked up a pillow. She threw it at Wynonna’s head and grinned.

“Get up asshat, we’re going out!” Nicole said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Fuck off, I’m pregnant and need my beauty sleep” Wynonna mumbled, flipping her off without moving her head.

“Nope, get your fine ass out of bed and meet me in the kitchen. Waves made breakfast.” Nicole said, walking out of her room and into the kitchen. 

“Your sister will be the death of me, I swear.” Nicole said chuckling as she sat down across from Waverly.

“I told you she’s not a morning person. At least she didn’t hit you with a pillow so hard you fell into the dresser.” Waverly said laughing. 

“The food looks amazing Waves.” Nicole said grinning as she began to eat. Wynonna wandered into the kitchen a while later, fully dressed and ready to go.

“There’s the sleeping beauty! I thought she’d never wake!” Nicole said, smirking.

“Shut it, Haught! Or I’m gonna make your life a living hell...” Wynonna grumbled sitting down and pouring herself a bowl of Lucky Charms.

“You already do. You’re lucky I love you, Earp, otherwise I would have whooped your ass a long time ago.” Nicole said laughing.

“What are we even doing today anyway?” Wynonna asked, through a mouthful of cereal. 

“Whatever you want. We just have to be out of the house most of the day. Waverly’s orders!” Nicole said, saluting Waverly. 

Wynonna shrugs and finishes her cereal. “There’s one thing I need to do...we can do that I guess.”

“Sounds shady. I’m in. After we do my plan, of course” Nicole said cleaning up from breakfast. 

“I’ll meet you in the car. Gotta pee again.” Wynonna said, rolling her eyes.

Nicole walked over to Waverly and kissed her. “We’ll be back later, baby. Don’t miss me too much” Nicole said, grinning.

“Miss you? Me? Never.” Waverly said, smirking. “Have fun with Wyn. Don’t let her be too rude to you.”

“You know I won’t. Have fun while we’re gone.” Nicole said kissing her again and walking outside to her car to wait for Wynonna. 

Wynonna got in the car a few minutes later. They chatted about their upcoming team meeting while on the way to the mall. 

Nicole was trying not to press her too hard to open up but was struggling to not interrogate her. She figured since Wynonna couldn’t drink, they could go axe throwing to release some of that built up tension. 

“So where the hell are we going anyway?” Wynonna said, walking next to Nicole through the mall.

“I figured we could go axe throwing. You’ve had a rough go recently. Figured we could blow off some steam, maybe even talk it out over some half priced apps?” Nicole said with a hopeful smile.

“Fuck yeah! Axe throwing sounds dope as fuuuck. But you’re crazy if you think I’m gonna talk about my feelings.” Wynonna laughed and deflected.

“Wyn, it's been long enough. We’ve given you space but it's about time you opened up.” Nicole said frustratedly. 

“Are you really gonna do this right now?” Wynonna groaned. 

“Yes it’s about damn time someone tough loved you back to your senses.” Nicole said, holding the door open for her.

“Someone I loved is dead and my baby daddy ran away with his wife who he totally forgot to mention!” Wynonna said, sighing.

“Well I can say much about Doc, but you’re not the only one who lost Dolls. You don’t get a monopoly over the grief we all feel.” Nicole said, grabbing her hand. “Hey..”

“I’m sorry…” Wynonna said, her eyes filling with tears.

“Don’t be Earp. Just know that I’m here for you. So is Waves. Let’s just relax and throw some damn axes.” Nicole said with a small smile.

“Sounds good, Haught stuff, sounds good” Wynonna said, slyly wiping her eyes as they walked into the axe throwing place. 

After a brief safety video, the two were allowed to begin throwing. Wynonna smirked at Nicole and picked up the first axe.

“Loser has to buy dinner and do dishes at home for two weeks?” Wynonna said, raising an eyebrow. 

“You’re so on, Earp.” Nicole said, crossing her arms. “Have fun losing!”

“In your dreams Sheriff Haught-to-trot!” Wynonna said, throwing the first axe and bouncing it off the board onto the floor. “Fuck!”

“Nice one!” Nicole said laughing. “Two more to go.” 

Wynonna missed the board on the second try but it at least got stuck in the wall. She managed to get one on the board but barely in the first round. 

Wynonna watched in awe as Nicole managed to get a bullseye on the first try and two 8’s on the rest of her tries for the first round.

Nicole smirked and stepped back as Wynonna took her second turn. Surprisingly, after watching Nicole throw, Wynonna improved greatly coming in one point behind Nicole by the end of the round.

To neither of the women's surprise, by the end of the game Nicole came out on top.

“You totally cheated! There’s no way you’re this good.” Wynonna said laughing.

“Wyn, how could someone cheat at throwing a fucking axe. You’re just a sore loser. Have fun doing the dishes!” Nicole said, laughing. “And buying me food and beers right now!”

“Awe no fair! I can’t even drink with you!” Wynonna groaned. “You did this on purpose!”

“My very own built in Uber” Nicole said smirking. 

They sat down at a table and waited for a server to come over to them. Wynonna’s jaw practically hit the floor when their server came to the table.

“What can I get ya? A spritzer? Apps? The name’s Rosita.” The gorgeous brunette said, pulling out her notepad. 

“Whoa, you’re-” Wynonna stuttered motioning to her boobs. “Uh- can I get a plate of nachos with extra cheese and sour cream. Hold the jalapenos.” 

“Sure thing, what can I get you?” Rosita said, turning to Nicole who couldn’t contain her smirk.

“I’ll get buffalo chicken sliders with fries and a beer please.” Nicole said, trying not to laugh at Wynonna practically drooling over the brunette.

“I’ll have that right out as well as two waters for you.” Rosita said, walking away. Wynonna watched her walk away in awe. 

“Earth to Earp? Time to pick up your jaw from the ground and wipe away the drool.” Nicole said giggling. 

“Shut up, Haught! Did you see her?!” Wynonna practically purred. Nicole kept laughing.

“Earp is in looove, Earp is in looove!” Nicole teased. 

“Fuck off! She’s coming back, be cool Wynonna, be cool.” Wynonna said, taking a deep breath and grinning when Rosita came back with everything they ordered. 

“Here ya go. Here’s the check too. No rush, enjoy your meal!” Rosita said, placing the food onto the table. 

“You too!” Wynonna said as Rosita walked away. “Fuck, I can’t believe I said that!” Nicole burst out laughing and nearly choked on the fry she just ate.

‘Real smooth, Earp, reaaaal smooth.” Nicole said, digging into her food. 

After finishing their food, Wynonna paid the bill. Taking a leap of faith, she signed the check and wrote her number under the signature. 

As they were leaving, Rosita winked at Wynonna and she practically melted. In fact, she didn’t shut up about it the entire way home and Nicole was about ready to kill her. At least she wasn’t moping about anymore.

When they got back to the homestead, Wynonna left to go meet up with the new BBD officers coming to finish the Revenant case and Nicole walked upstairs to update Waverly on their lunch adventure. 

Waverly was sitting on her bed reading a book on something historical when Nicole walked in.

“Hey baby, how was hanging out with Wynonna?” Waverly grinned and kissed Nicole. 

“It’s safe to say I think she’s out of her slump. She totally was flirting with our hot waitress. Oh and she lost the competition so she’s on dish duty for 2 weeks.” Nicole sighed happily.

“Wow I totally didn't expect you to say that.” Waverly giggled as Nicole wrapped her arms around her.

“Yeah you should have seen her reaction when she walked up to our table. She was practically drooling. That's how hot our waitress was.” Nicole said laughing.

“Okay you’ve called her hot, twice now. What’s her name?” Waverly said, slightly jealous.

“Don’t worry baby, You have nothing to worry about. Her name’s Rosita.” Nicole said, kissing Waverly’s cheek.

“I better not. Well, I’ll have to ask Wynonna all about it when she gets home.” Waverly said giggling. 

“I wonder what we're gonna talk about in our team meeting?” Nicole said, running her fingers through Waverly’s hair.

“Probably about what to do with the money and how the team is gonna work now without Dolls…” Waverly said, sighing. 

“What do you think you;re gonna do with your share of the money?”

Waverly faltered for a moment trying to come up with a good lie. “I’ll probably put most of it into my savings account. Then maybe I’ll use the rest for charity.” In reality, she was going to get Nicole a ring and ask her to marry her

“Aww that's so sweet baby. I think I’m going to use part of my share to get someone to build us a house in the field next to this one.” Nicole said, smiling. “And use the rest to buy new rock climbing equipment.”

“Sounds perfect.” Waverly said, kissing her passionately. “ I can’t wait” 


	13. invisible string

“A string that pulled me

Out of all the wrong arms right into that dive bar

Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire

Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons

One single thread of gold tied me to you

Cold was the steel of my axe to grind

For the boys who broke my heart

Now I send their babies presents

Gold was the color of the leaves

When I showed you around Centennial Park

Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven

Time, wondrous time

Gave me the blues and then purple pink skies

And it's cool, baby, with me

And isn't it just so pretty to think

All along there was some

Invisible string

Tying you to me?

Ooh”

~Taylor Swift~

A few months had passed since the team met to discuss dividing the money and what the future held for the team. They added Jeremy as a new team member, which was quite the surprise as no one knew Jeremy had left Purgatory for college and joined the BBD shortly after.

Either way, the team was excited to have him. Well, eventually. At first Wynonna was skeptical, but after Jeremy figured out what kind of drugs the new gang had been cooking up and saved Nicole after she was accidentally injected with them on a bust, she grew to like having his annoying nerd ass around. 

Doc still hadn’t called or returned and at this point, no one really thought he was going to. Wynonna had been spending a lot of her free time with Rosita. It was practically a casual thing because neither of them had the balls to go further than that. Well, there was a lot of baggage that both women had and neither of them wanted to deal with it at the moment. So, they stuck to the causal thing as their friends watched in frustration.

Nedley had decided to retire, handing off Sheriff duties to Nicole. It was no surprise to anyone as it was obvious she was the best choice for the position. Waverly and Nicole had celebrated the news many a time, wink-wink-nudge-nudge, but the whole group had yet to celebrate.

One Saturday morning, Nicole was working a double with Wynonna for Nedley so Waverly was spending the day with Jeremy. While waiting for Jeremy to finally arrive, Waverly sat at the kitchen table and researched the town’s jeweler. 

She was determined to find the perfect ring no matter the cost. Waverly had come so far and she owed a lot of it to Nicole. She brought out the best in Waverly and she was determined to show Nicole how much she meant to her. 

After Jeremy arrived, they ate a quick vegan lunch before heading to the local jeweler to look at rings. Waverly had no idea when she would pop the question, but she knew exactly what she was going to say. Jeremy could barely contain his excitement. 

Meanwhile, Wynonna and Nicole weren’t actually on a double for Nedley. They were currently in the big city gathering items for a surprise dinner party that evening. Nicole was planning on asking Waverly to marry her and had enlisted her best friend to help her make it absolutely perfect.

Nicole had picked out a simple ring with a small diamond, but she knew Waverly would love it. She was saving her money so she could get custom wedding rings for the ceremony. She enlisted Wynonna’s help in getting Waverly’s favorite flowers and picking up food from Waverly’s favorite food from the big city. 

“When do you think I should ask everyone to come over for dinner?” Nicole asked Wynonna as they stopped for lunch after their shopping excursion.

“I don't think you should, it’ll be sus. I’ll send a text, it’ll still be sus, but at least Waves won’t be suspicious.” Wynonna replied with a mouthful of burger.

“You’ve got ketchup on your bump. And that sounds good.” Nicole chuckled, handing her a napkin. “You’re a goddamn mess Earp.” 

“Says you! I wasn’t the one who knocked over the entire display of flowers on the way out of Wave’s favorite plant shop now was I?” Wynonna said laughing.

“Shut it, Earp! I’m nervous alright? I want this to go perfectly. I’ve been dreaming of this day for years…and besides at least I’m not still moping about an asshole guy who knocked me up and ditched me for a wife he failed to mention when a perfectly sexy young bartender is sitting right in front of you” Nicole said, blushing slightly and rolling her eyes. 

“Dude, what are you nervous about? It’s not like Waverly is going to say no, and besides you’ve been planning this for months now. And dude that was a low blow, even for you. ” Wynonna said sadly, finishing Nicole's fries when she wasn’t looking. 

“I’m sorry, I know how you feel about Doc, especially since he’s your baby daddy. But Wynonna, Rosita is head over heels for you! And I know, I know! I’m not that nervous, I’m really excited too. Did you send the text yet inviting everyone over for dinner?” Nicole asked, biting her lip and changing the subject. 

“Yep just did. Everyone said they’d be there. They were confused as to why I asked, I told them I wanted us to celebrate my Haught cop best friend becoming Sheriff. I’m good aren’t I?” Wynonna said, smirking. Wynonna was glad she dropped the Doc conversation. 

“For once Earp, I’m proud of you. Should we get going? I want to make sure the house is set up before Waves and Jer get back.” Nicole said, paying for the food. “Also, I saw you eat my fries. You owe me.” 

“Whatever, Haught. You can get your payback when you’re pregnant as fuck.” Wynonna said rolling her eyes and gesturing to her bump.

The two best friends made their way back to the homestead as fast as they could. Waverly and Jeremy were still out shopping for the moment. They were wandering around the mall and happened to stumble into a baby store. Wynonna still wasn’t sure what she was going to do about the baby, but Waverly was optimistic as usual and looked around aimlessly. 

“Hey Waves, did you see that text from Wynonna in the group chat?” Jeremy said, picking up a random baby outfit before putting it back because it just wasn’t Wynonna’s vibe.

“No, what did it say?” Waverly said, looking through the rack.

“She wants everyone to come over for dinner to celebrate Sheriff Nicole Haught.” Jeremy said, looking at her excitedly. 

“Oh that’s weird, she didn’t tell me she was planning on doing that today. Must have slipped her mind. Oh god, I hope she’s not trying to cook.” Waverly said, looking back at him wide eyed and shaking her head. 

“So...are you gonna do it?!” Jeremy asked, excitedly. 

“Do what…?” She looked at him confused for a second before it dawned on her. “Oh my god, I could.” She said, freaking out a little.

“I mean it seems like the perfect moment too. Everyone we love will be there and we’ll be celebrating Nicole. You should totally do it!” Jeremy said, picking up a Baby Yoda onesie. “Oh my god this is totally adorable!”

“Jer, I hate to break it to you, Wynonna would burn that if you got it for her. Oh my god, I’m gonna do it. Tonight!” Waverly squealed in excitement. 

“Yass, Wayhaught’s getting married!!” Jeremy squealed almost as loud as Waverly.

The two decided to not buy anything and made their way back to the homestead as it was nearing time for dinner. They pulled up and were pleasantly surprised to see Nedley’s car sitting outfront. 

“Hmm, Nicole must have invited Nedley, that’s sweet!” Waverly explained smiling. Jeremy grinned and nodded as they walked inside. 

“Hey babygirl! Did you have a nice day?” Wynonna said from her place on the couch next to Nedley.

“Oh hey, yeah it was pretty nice. How was work?” Waverly said smiling and sitting down on the couch with Jeremy. 

“Psh, you know how it is, busy as usual..” Wynonna said with a shrug. Waverly gave her a look and shook her head. “Nicole’s in the kitchen prepping dinner should be ready soon.”

“Oh thank god, I thought you were cooking. What are we having?” Waverly said with a nervous laugh. 

“Rude, but noted. We’re having your fave vegan food for dinner.” Wynonna said, grinning.

“Like the one from the city? When did you have time to-” Waverly couldn’t finish her sentence because she was interrupted by Nicole giving her a quick kiss.

“Hey baby! Dinners served!” Nicole said, grabbing Waverly’s hand and walking into the kitchen. Waverly grinned when she saw her favorite flowers as the centerpiece of the table. Everyone gathered around and dug into the food. 

“Congrats, Sheriff Haught Shot” Wynonna said as people started finishing up their food. She went to the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Waverly gave her a stern look as she poured everyone but herself shots. They toasted to Nicole and her new position.

Waverly tried to get everyone's attention so she could propose but Nedley started going on one of his rants about how proud he was of Nicole and soon it turned into drunken storytime. 

Wynonna sat and half listened to what was going on. Her heart hurt knowing that Doc wasn’t here for this moment and part of her wishes she invited Rosita. 

Nicole looked equally as frustrated but kept smiling as they were talking about her. After a few moments, Jeremy poured another round of shots, now obviously tipsy. 

“Hey! Nic-averly! Are you two young sexy smokeshows getting married or what?” Jeremy said laughing.

“Dude!” Wynonna exclaimed, looking at Nicole wide-eyed.

“Jeremy!” Waverly exclaimed, looking at him equally wide-eyed.

“Whaaat, you’re taking so long to pop the Q I figured I’d swoop in and give ya a hand!” Jeremy said, shrugging. “Nevermind...I’ll shut up now” 

“Well, actually I had something planned…” Nicole and Waverly said in unison. They shared a brief smile. Waverly looked over at Wynonna for approval. Wynonna gave her a sad smile and a nod, tears threatening to spill over.

“You did?” Waverly said, in awe.

“Yeah, I did.” She laughed and pulled out the ring box, grabbing Waverly’s hand. “The food, the flowers. Blowing off work to spend the day with your dipshit sister to make sure it was perfect. This was all for you. Waverly Earp…” 

“Please, let me.” Waverly interrupted, smiling, tears forming in her eyes. “Nicole Haught, I know our journey together hasn’t been perfect, but I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. Will you marry me?” Waverly said, taking the ring out from her pocket. 

Nicole smiled teary eyed and nodded. “Yes.”

“Yes?” Waverly said grinning, a single tear falling from her eyes.

“Yes, I’ll marry you!” Nicole said, pulling Waverly close and kissing her passionately. 

Nedley and Jeremy cheered and took another shot, toasting the happily couple and getting lost in a happy conversation. Waverly and Nicole held each other close. Wynonna let a few tears fall and bit her lip. Between her hormones and her heart break, she couldn’t take it anymore. She slipped out the back door and went outside, openly crying, unaware of what was waiting for her in the barn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all you lovely people! Feel free to leave comments and suggestions below! I love hearing from you! If you're bored and want to follow my fan account, check me out @earper_kru on Instagram! Thanks for following me on this crazy journey!


	14. Never Grow Up

“Your little hand's wrapped around my finger

And it's so quiet in the world tonight

Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming

So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light

To you everything's funny

You got nothing to regret

I'd give all I have, honey

If you could stay like that

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up

Just stay this little

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up

It could stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you

Won't let no one break your heart

And no one will desert you

Just try to never grow up

Never grow up”

~Taylor Swift~

“Doc?!” Wynonna exclaimed, turning on the barn light.

“Wynonna,” Doc said, tipping his hat. 

“What are you doing here?” Wynonna said, wiping her eyes and crossing her arms angrily. 

“I know you’re upset, but-” Wynonna cut him off before he could finish his thought.

“Upset?! UPSET?! Doc, you knocked me up and fucking left me! And you didn’t tell me you had a wife. Upset doesn’t cover it at all!” Wynonna said angrily.

“I know, but please hear me out. I want to apologize.” Doc said, removing his hat.

“Get out.” Wynonna said, standing her ground.

“Wynonna…” Doc said softly, taking a step towards her and reaching out for her hand.

“GET OUT!” Wynonna yelled, tears falling down her face as she stepped away from him.

Doc threw his hands up in defeat and left the barn swiftly. Wynonna sat on the bed and wrapped herself in a blanket, allowing the tears to freely fall. 

Wynonna sat there crying silently, thinking over the events of the day. She wanted to be happy for her little sister but everytime she thought about it she cried a little harder. 

The barn door opened revealing Nicole and Waverly carrying extra blankets and a thermos full of hot cocoa. 

“Nonna! It’s freezing out! What are you doing out here all alone?” Waverly said, her voice dripping with concern. She went over to her sister swiftly and sat down on the edge of the bed. Nicole followed and wrapped Wynonna in another blanket.

“H-Hey baby girl! Haught dog! Oh you know me, just getting some fresh air. Nedley really stunk up the place. Shouldn’t let him eat anymore of my beef jerky.” Wynonna deflected with a half hearted chuckle. 

“Wynonna..” Waverly said sternly, shaking her head. Wynonna sighed and sniffled slightly. 

“Doc was here...came to apologize. I kicked him out though, I don’t want to see him.” Wynonna said angrily. 

“I swear if I see him, I’m gonna hit him so hard. SO hard.” Waverly said, scrunching her face up angrily. Wynonna laughed.

“I don’t think that would do much, baby girl. But you can sure as hell try it.” Wynonna said with a sad smile. 

“Wy, it’s cold as hell out there, we should go back inside, sit by the fire and have a cup of hot cocoa,” Nicole said, squeezing Wynonna’s hand. 

“I think I’ll sit out here a little bit longer. You guys go ahead though, I can see how your shivering Waves. Go I’ll come inside in a few.” Wynonna said, wrapping the blanket around herself tighter.

“We’ll go inside but we’re timing you. Not too long, you’ll freeze to death and I don’t want a popsicle for a best friend” Nicole said with a small smile. Wynonna smiled.

“Don’t worry Haught-mail, I promise I’ll only stay here for 10 more minutes, I need to clear my head.” Wynonna said as the couple got up and walked out of the barn.

Wynonna sat lost in her thoughts. There was so much going on in her head and she was desperate to make things make sense, but nothing did. She wanted to forgive Doc and let him be a part of their kids life but at the same time she was falling in love with Rosita and adding Doc back into her life would make things more complicated. 

The barn door creaked open and she was about to turn around to see who had entered when a hand covered her mouth with a cloth and everything went black.

The next thing she knew, a sharp pain in her abdomen woke her up. She blinked a few times and realized she was still in the barn. She tried to move but realized she was tied to a chair. 

“What are you doing here Revhead? I thought I caught all you asshats and threw you in jail?” Wynonna spat, trying to pull her hands free. Another sharp pain in her abdomen stopped her in her tracks. “Oh hell no. Not now, you little asshole. Stay right where you are.” She said looking down at her bump. 

“I want the baby in exchange for you killing my brother!” The man yelled, throwing a knife at the ground by Wynonna’s feet. Wynonna flinched.

“Fuck you, dickhead.” Wynonna said scooting the chair so she could use the knife to cut the rope tying her feet together. She stood up and lunged at the man attempting to hit him with the back of the chair. 

He pushed her back down and sat on her lap so she couldn’t move again and slapped her across the face. She screamed and bit down on his hand as it covered her mouth.

“You bitch!” The man yelled and grabbed her hair tilting her head back aggressively. Wynonna cried out as another contraction hit. Suddenly, the barn door swung open and Doc ran in guns at the ready. 

“Get your lily white hands off my baby mama!!” Doc yelled, cocking his guns and pointing them at the man. The men jumped off Wynonna and lunged for Doc.

The man slammed Doc into the pile of wood with a loud crash. Doc got up quickly and looked around for a second before grabbing a piece of wood and slamming it over the guys head, knocking him out cold. Nicole and Waverly ran in frantically.

“Wynonna!” Doc exclaimed, rushing over to where she was and cut her loose. 

“T-Took you l-long e-enough.” Wynonna said, shivering violently. 

“What the hell just happened?!” Nicole said as Doc threw his coat around Wynonna. Wynonna hugged him tight. 

Waverly stormed over and slapped Doc across the face. “Don’t you ever think of abandoning her ever again!” Waverly hugged him tight. “Thank god you were here!” 

“Uh, as much as I hate to break up this reunion, this sucker’s coming out of my vagina...” Wynonna chuckled nervously. 

“When did your contractions start?” Waverly asked as they helped her over the bed. 

“Oh, I don’t know, I was kind of chloroformed and tied to a chair for god knows how long!” Wynonna said groaning. “Cheesus coconuts!” 

“Okay, you’re okay. I’m going to call the doctor.” Waverly said, picking up her phone and pacing. “She’s not answering! Shit ticket!” 

“What am I supposed to do now?! Back in my day, the men just sat outside and smoked!” Doc said, freaking out slightly. 

Nicole walked back into the barn followed by Rosita, carrying a stack of towels and a bunch of other supplies. 

“Don’t smoke idiot, you’re about to be a father!” Rosita said, rolling her eyes and kneeling down by Wynonna. 

“Rosie!” Wynonna said, smiling slightly and grabbing her hand. 

“Hey baby, I’m right here. Nicole throw me those towels!” Rosita said, taking action. 

“Rosita?!” Doc said in disbelief. 

“Yeah, yeah it’s me get over it. Look who’s ‘Mr. steal yo girl now’, It’s me.” Rosita said, draping a towel over Wynonna’s legs. 

“I’m sorry we left you alone, we got uh kind of distracted…” Waverly said grabbing Wynonna’s hand and squeezing it tight. 

“Of course you were...don’t worry about it baby girl, you’re here helping now.” Wynonna said breathing heavily. 

Nicole tied up the man and rushed over to the rest of the group. She grabbed Waverly’s hand. After a grueling labor accompanied by a slew of profane language and threats of ripping Doc’s dick off, the baby girl was born. 

Nicole worked to help Rosita clear her airway and her sharp piercing cries filled the barn. Waverly smiled at Wynonna, tears falling down her face. Nicole handed the baby over to Wynonna.

Wynonna held the baby close and smiled down to her. “How can anything have fingernails this small? It’s ridiculous” 

“You did it, Wynonna.” Waverly said, wiping her tears away.

“We did it.” Wynonna said looking around at her found family. “Do you think everythings okay?”

“Just look, Pure perfection” Waverly said, grabbing Nicole’s hand and squeezing it tight.

“You did good, Earp. Look at her.” Nicole said smiling. “So precious...does this little beauty have a name?” 

“Alice...Alice Michelle. After mama and Doc’s mama” Wynonna said looking over at Doc with a small smile. Doc turned away for a second and wiped a tear from his eye.

“Well, I’ll be damned… can I hold her please?” Doc asked, looking at Alice. Wynonna handed him to Doc and sat up hugging Rosita. 

“T-Thank you for being here...I don’t know what would have happened.” Wynonna said kissing her. 

“I’m glad I happened to be on my way over. I’m so happy you're okay.” Rosita said, grinning.

Wynonna turned to Nicole and Waverly and grinned. “Hey you too love birds, would you two idiots like to be her godparents?” 

“We wouldn’t want anyone else to be.” Waverly said, grinning. 

“We got you Earp! Always.” Nicole said, smiling. 

“We better get inside, a snow storm is coming and it’s fucking cold out here.” Rosita said, helping Wynonna up off the bed. 

“Let’s go before we all get frostbite,” Doc said, heading towards the house. The rest of the group followed. 

“I need to go grab some things from Shorty’s. I shall return.” Doc said handing Alice to Waverly, who had yet to hold her. 

“I’m going to go shower, do you mind watching her? I’ll be quick I promise.” Wynonna asked, biting her lip. 

“Of course, and take your time. You’ve been through a lot!” Nicole said as Wynonna and Rosita headed upstairs.

Nicole walking over to the couch with Waverly and the baby. Once they sat down she wrapped a blanket around them as Waverly held Alice.

“She’s absolutely perfect, Nicole” Waverly said as Alice grabbed a hold of her finger. 

“Well, I mean, she is half Holliday so she can’t exactly be perfect.” Nicole said, chuckling as Waverly gave her a stern look . “I’m only kidding. She’s amazing. I can’t stop looking at her.”

Alice started to cry and Waverly looked nervous. “Oh my god, oh my god. I broke her. I broke her already and Wynonna’s going to kill me. Nicole laughed. 

“You didn’t break her, she’s probably just hungry.” Nicole said smiling. “Try sticking your finger in her mouth” 

Waverly did what Nicole suggested and Alice calmed down. Waverly smiled wide over at Nicole.

“You have such a way with children. I can’t wait until we start our own little family. You’re going to be the best mommy ever.” Waverly said beaming with pride. 

“Don’t sell yourself short, Waves. You’ll be just as good as I will.” 

“I know, because I’ll have the best teacher.” Waverly said, kissing Nicole. “Do you want to hold her?” Nicole nodded and Waverly placed Alice into her arms. 

The couple took turns holding Alice until Wynonna and Rosita came back downstairs. Shortly after, Doc returned with a cradle that he had crafted himself. Wynonna couldn’t contain her tears and the family shared a heartfelt moment. Doc left shortly after. 

After helping Rosita get Wynonna and Alice settled, Nicole and Waverly went up to bed. After changing into their PJs, the couple laid in bed chatting about the crazy events of the past day. 

“I love seeing you with Alice. You’re a natural Nicole.” Waverly said, entwining their fingers. 

“I can’t wait to start our own family.” Nicole said grinning. 

“I can’t either but we have a wedding to plan first before we even think about it.” Waverly said making it clear she wasn’t ready. 

“Of course baby, it’s just another thing to look forward to. And our house is being built next door to the Homestead. We’ll take one thing at a time.” Nicole reassured, kissing her hand. 

“Goodnight, love.” Waverly said, giving her a kiss.

“Night Waves. Sleep for as long as you can, I have a feeling we’ll be up later with Alice’s screams” Nicole said laughing as Waverly groaned.


	15. Jump Then Fall

“Well, I like the way your hair falls in your face

You got the keys to me, I love each freckle on your face

Oh, I've never been so wrapped up, honey

I like the way you're everything I ever wanted

I had time to think it oh, over

And all I can say is come closer

Take a deep breath and jump then fall into me

'Cause every time you smile, I smile

And every time you shine, I'll shine for you

Whoa-oh, I'm feeling you, baby

Don't be afraid to jump then fall

Jump then fall into me

Baby, I'm never gonna leave you

Say that you wanna be with me too

So I'ma stay through it all

So jump then fall”

~Taylor Swift~

The next few months were a whirlwind at the homestead. With the weather warming, construction on the new house had begun, much to Wynonna’s chagrin as Alice was already a fickle sleeper as is and didn't need anything else to keep her awake. When Nicole generously offered up her apartment as a place for them to stay until the construction was over, Wynonna couldn’t move fast enough.

When they say having children changes everything, they aren’t kidding. Adjusting to motherhood was a family affair. Wynonna was struggling to adjust to the whole baby thing and everyone was trying their best to help as much as they could. 

Waverly and Nicole had barely been asleep for two hours when Wynonna’s cursing startled Waverly awake. She sat up and turned her bedside lamp on with a sigh. 

“I’ll be back baby…” Waverly said as she got out of bed. Nicole barely stirred and wrapped the blanket tighter around herself. Waverly wrapped her robe around herself and made her way downstairs. 

“Wynonna…?” Waverly said, walking down the stairs revealing a distraught Wynonna holding Alice away from her at arm's length. 

“Waves! Thank sweet baby jesus. We’ve got a situation. Operation baby blow out.” Wynonna said, scrunching up her face in disgust. 

Waverly bit her lip trying not to laugh. She turned on the light and bit her lip when she saw the entire situation. 

“Oh you poor thing!” Waverly said, looking at Alice who whimpered in discomfort. 

“Poor thing my ass! What about me?” Wynonna said cringing. “How could something so small have so much shit!” 

“I’ll start a bath and get a change of clothes. You deal with removing all that. Carefully, please.” Waverly said, going upstairs. Wynonna followed slowly.

“Oh god why!” Wynonna said, gagging as she gently removed Alice’s clothes and diaper, immediately throwing them in a trash bag.

Waverly laughed as she felt the water. “Here the water is ready. Give me my little love bug.” Wynonna gladly handed Alice over to Waverly and promptly washed her hands.

“I’m gonna make her a bottle. I’ll be back.” Wynonna said, walking out of the bathroom.

“My sweet Alice. What are we gonna do with your silly Mama.” Waverly cooed, gently washing her niece off. Alice giggled and splashed a little.

“You think that’s funny huh you little shit” Wynonna said grinning when she came back in and sat on the toilet. She picked up Alice’s monkey towel and held it.

“Language Wynonna!” Waverly said, covering Alice’s ears.

“Ah shit, sorry. I mean shoot.” Wynonna said, rolling her eyes. Waverly shook her head and handed Alice to Wynonna. Wynonna wrapped Alice in the towel and redressed her. 

“You better be careful or her first word will be a bad one.” Waverly said, chuckling.

“Would she even be my daughter if it were anything other?” Wynonna said laughing. “Thanks for your help. But I’ve got it from here. Plus, Rosita should be back from work soon anyway.” 

“Night, Nonna. By sweet pea.” Waverly said, kissing Alice’s head and heading back upstairs. Waverly climbed back into bed and snuggled up to Nicole. 

A few hours later, Nicole’s alarm went off. She groaned as she turned it off. She sat up slowly and looked over at Waverly’s sleeping form. She yawned and slid out of bed. She trudged into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She sighed and leaned against the sink. 

“These sleepless nights must have caught up with me I’m exhausted” Nicole said to no one in particular as she hopped into showing hoping that would give her a pick me up. 

The shower did nothing to help wake her up. She walked into her bedroom and smiled at how peaceful Waverly looked while sleeping. She wanted nothing more than to curl back up and sleep but Purgatory needed it’s Sheriff, so she begrudgingly put on her uniform and headed down to the kitchen to make coffee. 

She leaned against the counter as her coffee brewed. Her head felt heavy and her eyes started to close. She almost fell asleep when someone cleared their throat and startled her awake.

“Sleepy Haught-shot?” Wynonna said laughing. Nicole turned around to look at her and rolled her eyes. “Haught damn, you look like shit!” Wynonna exclaimed, pouring herself some coffee. 

“Thanks...you look great yourself. I’d love to stay and chat but I have Sheriffing to do.” Nicole grumbled and poured coffee into her travel mug before slowly putting her jacket on and walking out to her cruiser. 

The station was quiet. There was not much happening in Purgatory. Nicole tried to cut through the stack of paperwork on her desk but a dull throbbing had settled into her head not long after she started her shift. 

When Waverly walked into her office at lunchtime Nicole had read the same paper 300 times. Waverly was immediately worried when she saw her fiancé. 

“Baby, are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Waverly said, taking the paper out of Nicole’s hands.

“Huh?” Nicole said, rubbing her eyes. “Oh hi baby. No ghosts here, just stacks on stacks of paperwork. And I’m fine, just a little tired” 

“I brought you chicken salad. No pickles. Are you sure you’re okay baby?” Waverly asked, reaching forward and feeling her head. “Baby you’re burning up!”

“M’fine Waves. Not hungry, had a big lunch.” Nicole said, pushing the food away.

“Nicole, I know you didn’t have lunch because I was bringing it to you. You’re sick, baby and so out of it, you should come home.” Waverly said, squeezing her hand. 

“But Waves, there’s so much to do…” Nicole croaked, her throat dry and raw from coughing. 

“You can do it when you're better. Or better yet, make Wynonna do it. She can watch Alice and do paperwork while you get better.” Waverly said, brushing Nicole’s hair out of her face. 

“M’kay baby. That sounds good.” Nicole said, putting her jacket on slowly. She stood up and a wave of dizziness washed over her and she held onto Waverly. 

“Woah there. Don’t worry I got you.” Waverly said, helping Nicole walk out and into her jeep. Nicole rested her head back and closed her eyes. 

Waverly shot Wynonna a text and kept a side eye on Nicole the entire way back to her apartment. Waverly got out of the jeep and went around to Nicole’s side. 

“Baby, we're back home. Give me your hands and I’ll help you out.” Waverly said, reaching for Nicole’s hands. Nicole opened her eyes and got out of the jeep leaning into Waverly as they walked into Nicole’s apartment. 

“Is Wyn here? I don’t want to infect the baby.” Nicole said, coughing into her elbow. 

“Nope, I told her to go stay at Rosita’s until this bug runs its course. Where do you want to be?” Waverly asked, opening the door. 

“Couch” Nicole said as she plopped onto the couch and rubbed her temples. 

“I’m going to grab some things from the homestead, will you be okay for a bit?” Waverly asked, kissing Nicole’s head. Nicole nodded. “Okay, I’ll be right back baby.” She concluded while walking back out to her jeep.

Nicole sighed and decided a hot shower would probably help. She got up and made her way upstairs to her room to grab her towel and pajamas. 

She walked into the bathroom and hung her clothes and towel on the back of the door. The room spun and she leaned against the sink to keep her balance. A wave of nausea hit her like a bus and she lifted the toilet lid just in time to empty the entire contents of her stomach.

She sighed and leaned her head against the cold shower door. She struggled to unbuckle her belt and flung off her pants. Her arms felt heavy as she began to unbutton her uniform shirt. She must have dozed off because she was startled awake by Waverly flushing the toilet and turning the shower on. 

“My poor sick baby.” Waverly frowned, helping Nicole get out of the rest of her clothes. She took hers off as well and got into the shower hugging Nicole close.

She let the water engulf them for a few moments before gently washing Nicole’s hair and rinsing her body off. Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly and laid her head on Waverly’s shoulder.

“No one’s ever taken care of me like this before” Nicole mumbled, clearing her throat. “Thank you...:” 

“Of course baby. I’m happy to take care of you for the rest of our lives.” Waverly said, brushing Nicole’s hair back. 

Nicole started to shiver so Waverly turned the water off and helped Nicole change into her pajamas. After getting her situated in her bed. Waverly sat down on the edge of the bed and kissed Nicole’s forehead. 

“Get some sleep baby. I’ll be back in a few with medicine and eventually some soup if you’re feeling up to it, okay?” Waverly smiled, stroking Nicole’s rosy cheek. Nicole nodded and closed her eyes. As soon as she was asleep, Waverly went to work on making her homemade soup. 

When the soup was simmering, Waverly woke Nicole up briefly to give her some medicine. About an hour later the soup was finally done and Waverly decided to wake Nicole up.

“Hey baby... soups ready. Do you think you’re up for some soup?” Waverly said, brushing Nicole’s hair out of her face. Nicole woke up slowly and smiled.

“Mmm, Waves that smells amazing.” Nicole said hoarsely, sitting up and stretching. “How long was I out?” Waverly handed the soup to Nicole and sat down on the edge of the bed. 

“About two hours, you were pretty sick. It seems like the medicine is helping.” Waverly said, smiling as Nicole began to eat. 

“Mmm, Waves this soup is fantastic. And yeah, I guess I was. Last thing I really remember clearly, I was reading paperwork at the station.” Nicole said eating the soup.

“Oh wow, your fever must have been really high. We showered earlier and I helped you into bed. I’m glad you like the soup.” Waverly smiled and checked Nicole’s forehead. “You still feel warm but not nearly as bad.”

“I definitely feel better than I did this morning thank you, baby. What are you gonna do now?” Nicole asked, putting her empty bowl on the nightstand.

“I bought a new book, I’ll probably read it.” Waverly said excitedly, grabbing her book and climbing into bed next to Nicole. 

Nicole got up and went over to her Tv stand. She shuffled through her PS4 games and picked up one and put it in. 

“Since I’m sick and have the rest of today off, I’m gonna play video games. If that’s okay with you?” Nicole said grabbing her controller and getting back into bed. 

“Of course it is, what are you going to play?” Waverly asked, putting her book down. 

“I’m starting off with GTA V and then I’ll probably play COD Black Ops.” Nicole said happily as the game started. 

“Never heard of them. What’s GTA V all about?” Waverly asked, looking at the screen.

“ The purpose is to have the most money, the best cars, and the best house. And you get that by doing missions and playing with other people. You can steal cars, rob stores and kill other people. It’s wild.” Nicole explained, as she began to play.

“Oh my god, that sounds violent. Baby! You just ran over a person with that car. Holy shitballs they’re fighting you. Is that a gun?!” Waverly said in shock, not tearing her eyes away from the screen.

“Love, it’s only a game. It’s not that bad!” Nicole said, as she stole a cop car and ran over civilians in it.

“Baby, that's not a very nice game. What happened to games like Pacman and Just Dance?” Waverly said cringing. 

“Waves, if you think this is bad, wait until you see Red Dead Redemption II or Black Ops” Nicole said, laughing. 

“I think I’ll stick to my book...you have fun baby,” Waverly said, picking her book back up and entering her own little world. 

“Enjoy your book, Waves.” Nicole said, grinning and focusing on the game. 

“I will. Enjoy your steal cars and murder game.” Waverly said laughing. 

“Don’t hate, it’s fun! And it’s not like I’m Wynonna and can do these things in real life!” Nicole said laughing.

“Oooh, I’m gonna tell her you said that!” Waverly said laughing. 

“You wouldn’t dare!” Nicole said laughing. 

“Try me.” Waverly said with a shrug.

The two spent the next hours in their own little world before cuddling close to each other and heading to bed for the night. Nicole felt better after a day but Waverly came down with the same bug shortly after. Nicole spent the days nursing her fiancé back to health.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends, sorry for the delay! I've been busy lately and struggling mentally! As always feel free to comment suggestions and praise! Thanks for joining my on this journey!


End file.
